Bonds of Vanity
by DemonFox38
Summary: The winter winds came and went, taking the last trace of Alucard with them. In desperation, Maria Renard and Richter Belmont seek answers for his disappearance. Post-SotN
1. Chapter 1

**Bonds of Vanity**

* * *

><p>Gentle, languishing winds carried the last bitter breaths of winter into the night sky. Snowflakes scattered in its path, curling about the full moon and stars in a fluffy stole. Black, deep indigo, pale, soft creams and light blues—such fragile colors were carried in its pull. All of these beautiful sights would be scattered in the following weeks, banished by the heat of the sun and winding trails of colorful, perfumed flowers.<p>

Such a frail, tremulous beauty as winter's night had to be seen before it perished again.

A dark figure stood on a snowy ridge, watching powder scatter in the open fields and forests around him. He seemed as one with the season, clad in the same colors of the freezing night. Spirits of the air caught silvered, curled hair, tugging it towards the sky in playful teasing before releasing it again. He only moved to readjust his gloves. Even for blood as cold as his, the winter's frigid pulse was stronger, determined to settle in ancient ivory bones.

Howls sent new shivers through him, interrupting his peaceful contemplation. These weren't the cries of ordinary wolves. No, they were something darker, deeper—wargs, no doubt. Not of great threat to the poised man, but fearsome to the average human. He closed his eyes. Such mournful yelping rang in his head. These giant beasts were on the hunt, out for blood, seeking revenge.

Against what?

The answer ran under his sharp nose. Orange balls of light floated onto the lake, horseshoes clacking on ice. He grimaced. What fool would dare try crossing a lake this far into winter's end with such heavy beasts? Numerous red coaches ran behind two pairs of horses apiece, all keeping in single file. He tipped his head. Written on the side of the carriages in gold letters were advertisements for some self-inflated conman's circus.

Precisely—Maestro Phillippe's Traveling Menagerie and Curio Shoppe.

A swarm of shaggy creatures as large as horses descended onto the lake. They hounded the carriages, nipping and biting. The composed man sighed. Such calamity deserved investigation. He was hardly in the mood to mediate between nature and man, but there was to be no peace without calming both parties. He fussed with the chain of charms strapped around his right wrist. Once he was certain it was set correctly, he leapt from the ridge.

What seemed human peeled away. Flesh, bones, and blood merge into clear mist. Like a ghastly cloud, he floated onto the lake, overtaking the wargs as he sped to the mad caravan. Their howling was louder now, sharper. They sensed the dark presence amongst them. Their growling was frenzied, panicked.

The mist trembled, then dropped. Out of its remains fell a dark-furred wolf. Tiny as it was compared to the galloping wargs, they were pleased to see it. Cries rang in the shape-shifter's head. It took a moment for him to focus his thoughts on such howls, to let an animal's ears interpret what sharp barks were meant for him.

One knew his scent, even in his transformed state. "Lord Alucard! Whelp of the Master of Chaos!"

"Indeed! The hunt is in our favor!" Another went wild, cackling, saliva dripping through jagged teeth. "We devour human flesh tonight!"

The last cry pierced him like a silver lance. "Our whelp! They took him! Our son!"

Even if he loathed his own family—even if he hated what venom his father had given him instead of blood—his heart sank for the wailing mother. If these monsters still thought of him as a force on their side, even after he had fought so many of them to overthrow his father, then so be it. A child was a child, no matter the species. He would fetch it.

A flutter like large, black wings erupted from the ice. Alucard leapt onto the nearest carriage, his cloak whipping in the winter winds. He fought the speed of the caravan, the pull of gravity, pressing onward and inside. He was met with the stench of hay, metal, manure, fear. Wild eyes and flashing teeth addressed him. Iron cages lined the walls, crammed full of animals.

"What is this?" the startled man asked himself.

No ordinary animals had been captured. These were rare, beautiful creatures. Curled and whimpering at his knees was a white warg pup, eyes scarlet as the blood in the dhampir's body. Foxes screamed, voices shrill as a woman's scream, plush tails too numerous. A full-grown buck stared at him with almond eyes. Dangling from its sparkling antlers were crystals shaped as finely as silver raindrops. Birds with red-hot feathers. Wildcats with shifting, glowing eyes. A young unicorn, the bump on its head too small to be considered a grand horn. All creatures bearing marks of uncanny elegance, all prisoners of this mad caravan.

With a burst of mist, he passed through the walls in the front. He needed to slow the carriage down, give himself enough time to pick the locks and free what animals were captive in this car. Simple enough to do. Horses were easily frightened creatures—just a little worse than humans, in that regard. He rushed to the horses' noses, then shifted forms once more, a bat flying out of the mist that once was his body.

He didn't so much stop the horses as slam into their heads.

The bat reeled backwards, then crashed next to the carriage's driver. Alucard sank into the seat, body reconstituting from the shock of being hit. Alright. So they were courageous horses. So was the driver, for that matter of fact. He sat upright, then pulled back. Glaring at him was a visage in the approximation of a human face cast in metal. Rivets were ground in its head, gears and steam sputtering from its mouth. Something warm and wet undulated in the back of its mouth. Perhaps fuel. Perhaps something worse.

"A golem?" Alucard huffed.

That explained the horse's lack of fear as well. Why did they have to worry about something as tiny as a bat? They were made of the same substance as the driver, just as brain-dead and determined to follow orders. The mechanical horses drove forward with such strength that the dhampir thought their hooves would pierce the ice beneath them.

He snarled, then fought the golem coachman for the horses' reins. Gears snapped in their backs, red fluid popping out as Alucard pulled backwards. They came to an abrupt stop. The dhampir grumbled, then floated into the carriage once more, his body slow to turn to mist and back. Between the descent from the forest's ridge and constant body swapping, he was depleting his magic powers. Even his own father loathed switching forms this often.

Wargs snarled and snapped at the carriage. Their yowling was thunderous in his head. He rotated his relics, then found a small turquoise gem. This would do. He pressed it against the lock of the warg pup's cage, letting its magic flow. A light aura ebbed from the stone, then popped. The lock on the cage jolted open, shocked by the burst of magic.

The dhampir sent one heeled boot into the back doors of the carriage. He grabbed the pup by the scruff of its neck, then tossed it outside. Joyous howls turned to yelping as lights flared from the front of the caravan. The wargs retreated, yipping, tails between their legs. Alucard groaned, his lungs failing to keep up with his brain. What fresh hell was this?

"What the devil is this nonsense?" a voice boomed. "Get this cart moving! Now, you clanking claptraps!"

Alucard's ears perked. A human voice. He snarled, then rose. There was no time to free the rest of these animals. Not before that human caught him. As much as he'd like to teach that madman a lesson, the urge to spill blood was pacified by logic. The last thing he needed was a reputation as a thief or a manslayer. With a dejected groan, he twisted his form once more, blasting out of the carriage as little more than vapors.

Bulging eyes took sight of his ghastly shape. Thick lips trembled, a tiny nose turned up at him. Teeth chattered, though Alucard didn't know if the man's shivers were from fear or the cold. "What the blazes?"

The dhampir didn't see any reason for having to answer that question. He pushed forward, moving swiftly. His body was struggling to hold such a light form, aching to return to his uncompressed self. No matter the strength of his will, forces greater than the dhampir's power pulled against him. He sank to the icy surface of the lake, closer and closer, the chill seeping through him.

With an undignified crash, the man landed on the ice. He shuddered from the fall, then glanced behind him. Orange lights weren't far away. The entire caravan had turned to face him, ignoring the fleeing wargs. Hardly an ideal position, but he could work his way out of this. His magic power would be returning any moment now, and if he could just—

A titian burst of light popped next to his head as a thrown lantern shattered into pieces.

Alucard growled, then hid his eyes. Even as he was, half human and all, abrupt light in the middle of the night was still a harsh slap in the face. He scrambled to his feet, then ran. He didn't make five paces before teeth erupted from the surface of the frozen lake. Crystalline, shining, smooth as a mirror's surface. He jolted away from one, another brushing his back. Like so many brambles, they snared and tore the hem of his cloak.

A spire shot in front of his ribcage. It caught the buttons on his overcoat, tearing them away. He slid backwards. The sheen in the icy spike held his breath, a chill taking his heart. There, reflected in ice's surface, was his father's image. It bore no rage towards his defiant offspring. It had an uncomfortable smile, teeth digging into lips, drawing blood.

The reflection reached for Alucard. The dhampir kept back, drew his blade. No. No time for illusions or tricks. With one shattering blow, he scattered the mirage. Ice crystals clattered to his feet. Thousands of snarling laughs erupted around him, shards copying that same snarl over and over again. Struggling to hold his breath, the weary son ran once more.

He was nearly to the lake's edge. He set down his left foot, then went no further. A sickening crunch broke below him. Snapping jaws bit his ankles as the ice beneath him went. Cold water flooded his senses. His head breached the surface of the lake. He cursed himself. He knew this would happen! Why didn't he—

A gurgle escaped him. Shards in the lake's surface closed in on him. He tried his transformations one last time, bobbing helplessly as his body froze. Flying away? Swimming was going to be impossible enough, and any mere mortal could do that! He put his blade away, then kicked towards the shoreline.

One spire. Two. Three, then four. Pressing around him, forcing him beneath the lake's surface. He was no more than flotsam being pushed about by the spells surrounding him. He clutched his wrist, trying in vain to call for any spirit that would aid him. All that earned him was a mouthful of water. He looked up, finding his father's reflection mocking him in the sealed surface above his spinning head.

Drowning? Freezing? Not one drop of magic for a tiny fireball? How pitiful!

The water thickened around him. Alucard lashed out, trying one last time to escape whatever morbid fate awaited him. His sword clattered against the surface of the lake, pierced its shell, then was stuck fast. The black abyss became white, solid. His cloak and hair froze where they floated, the charms on his jewelry locked in place. The ice tightened against his chest, stopping short of constricting him. Only his breath bought him any freedom—and that was growing colder, weaker.

Wide eyes and thick legs walked over him. Even frozen in a block of ice, the dhampir could hear the man's mocking laughter. He knelt down, a staff clattering orb-end first onto the ice, his face pressing into the lake to see what his magic had caught. There, locked in the freezing waters, was evidence of what Alucard truly was. Pale features. Pointed nose and ears. Shining, seductive eyes. Sharp teeth.

"A vampire? Do my eyes deceive me?" the carriage leader murmured. He grinned, then placed a hand over Alucard's forehead. "If only my luck could always be so beautiful."

/***/

Look. Swirl. Sniff. Sip. Breathe. Taste again. Savor. Repeat. It seemed awfully complicated to drink wine in such a way, but he had assured her that it was the proper way to do so. The young lady smiled, then simply drank. Of course her friend had such peculiar ways to do everything. Probably the right way too, if pressed to argue about it. But…

Well. He wasn't here to chastise her now.

Perhaps it was a bit unbecoming of a young lady to travel so far from home on her own, to drink on her own in taverns packed full of ruffians. To so many people, she looked like a frail, fluffy doll, something to be cherished by little girls. She had power within her modest frame, resilience against dark forces that few could trump. Not many full-grown men could survive what she had—the assaults, the temptations, the sheer horror that came from facing the worst of hell's beasts.

She was strong. She knew this. It didn't make his loss any less painful.

The lady glanced at the tavern door, then back at her drink. It had been a month since she had heard of Alucard's whereabouts. She should have known it would eventually come to this. It was the way all men were—trying to protect her by not telling her a damn thing about what they were doing. Her brother-in-law was this way, her noble friend, the barkeep, the constables wandering the streets. All wanting her to be safe, be still. Be stupid, too, if they thought she would wait on the sidelines, waving a handkerchief as everyone around her went off to war with the forces of evil, only to never return.

She raised her drink again when a gloved hand slipped between her glass and her lips. "I'd never thought I'd see you taking to drinking, Maria."

Maria placed her glass down. "Maybe I'll learn not to cough when I do, one of these days." She grinned, then threw a dirty look towards her wild-eyed companion. "At least I have grace enough to know that you don't go sticking fingers in other people's drinks, Richter."

"You wound me!" Richter laughed, cheeky as the devils he fought.

If there was anyone Maria needed to confide in now, it was Richter Belmont. He was a strong man, broad-shouldered, determined. The kind of man that cut his hair with a serrated knife. Some fire was in his soul, always seeking the next challenge. A bloodlust as strong as his greatest foe's, perhaps. There were times darkness tempted him, but such foundries had made him tougher. She envied such resilience.

The duo sighed. Questions nettling at their lips were slow to come out. Words crashed together as they both asked, "So, what brings you here?" They chuckled, then shook heads. Their words together always seemed to run the same script.

"Ladies first," Richter urged.

Maria tipped her head. She knew Richter was going to hate this. "I was out hunting for Alucard. I have had no word from him in…quite some time."

Richter raised an eyebrow. "How long?"

"A month," Maria replied.

Sad tutting escaped Richter. "Don't tell me that he left a young lady alone on Saint Valentine's Day. Even knowing his father, I thought he had better breeding than that!"

Maria whacked him in his coat. He smirked off her sass. Shaking her head, she took back to her drink. "It's not like him, Richter. I've sent doves out in the day, owls out at night. There's no sign of him anywhere. Even if something terrible happened to him…even if he was slain…"

"Maria, don't…" Richter bit his tongue. He tapped on the bar, then slid two coins to the bartender. He watched the barkeep fill up a fresh stein, speaking as flatly as he could. "I'm sure you've torn the countryside apart looking for him."

The young lady nodded. She kept her words guarded as she spoke. "And I know you would have told me if he resurfaced amongst the Belmonts. At least, there's always a coff—bed for him in the Belnades Monastery. He wouldn't sleep in—well, he might sleep in strange places, but—" Her face flushed, then she lowered her eyes.

Richter shook his head. He lifted his stein, speaking into the foam. "But he always comes home, doesn't he?"

Words caught in Maria's throat. She bobbed her head, afraid to speak more. Their relationship was peculiar, at best. Not even the kindest word from the strongest Belmont could keep Alucard from returning to his eternal rest. But Maria…she had touched something else, reached some tender spot hidden within plates of cold iron.

There was to be tragedy in their future, no doubt. She would wither and die before him. For now, he was tucked in the folds of humanity, walking the journey of a slower path with her. If nothing else, she hoped to make his melancholy heart stalwart—that he would throw down his shame and take up his shield for those who would come. She couldn't guarantee she'd have a lineage to fight in her name like the Belmonts. If she could convince him to stay with humans—to honor his mother's words and her own wishes—that would be a grand enough legacy.

How foolish her dreams seemed now that he had vanished.

"Perhaps he ran away and joined the circus."

Both Maria and Richter jerked their heads up. The barkeep's statement was ludicrous. Richter was unable to hold his laughter. He snorted, then slammed his stein down. "Alucard? That ponce? Can you imagine—him, performing magic tricks for a roaring crowd? Walking a tight rope? The thought of him in clown makeup has me in tears alone!"

Maria had her hand drawn, half-way between swatting Richter and covering her face. She settled on hiding her rosy blush at such ridiculous thoughts. "N-no. That's not like him at all."

The bartender gave a massive shrug. "Fine. If you say so. All I know is that when anyone runs off around here, they head out for the circus."

"Seems like a small town for something like that to be here," Richter said.

"It's not a local establishment," the barkeep explained. He scratched his chin, beard bristling as he spoke. "There's a traveling act that comes here once in a blue moon. Been through France, the Netherlands, and the like. Gets quite a followin', but it has a nasty habit of robbing the locals of wayward sons. 'Course, that may be on account of its most famous attraction."

Maria raised an eyebrow. "And that would be?"

"Monsters. All sorts of monsters!" the barkeep exclaimed. "Don't know quite how they travel with so many. The ringleader claims he catches them out of all corners of the earth. If he's a conman, he's a damn good one."

Richter tipped his head. He took a swallow of his drink, then mused again. "Monsters and disappearing children. Hmm." He readjusted his seat, then leaned towards Maria. "Sounds my sort of mystery. What say you, Maria? Is your woman's intuition in line with my hunter's instincts?"

"It sounds to me like you wish to play around," Maria muttered.

"Fine then. Consider it a break," Richter conceded. "Come on, Maria. You need to take your mind off of him for a while. If there's anyone in the world who loves tiny, fluffy creatures more than you, then I have not met them!"

Sighing, Maria lowered her drink. Maybe Richter was right. What was one day in leisure compared to the thirty she had spent hunting for Alucard? He was so entrenched in her mind, as snug to her spirit as her gloves to her hands. She had been so consumed with finding him that she was wracked with worry, drinking just to remember something about him. Or, perhaps to numb the hole he had left in her heart.

She had lived without him before. She could go on for a little while longer.

"Alright. Let's go see this circus," Maria agreed. "But then, I expect you to help me find him."

Richter grinned, then downed his beer. "Like I could refuse helping either of you."

/***/

Author's Note

Thanks for reading!

Here's the scoop—I've got this story all written out. Barring some disastrous accident, you should be seeing updates every Sunday and Thursday until the story is finished (usually in the evenings.) Good policy, I think. Saves the reader from an unfinished story. Feel free to leave reviews or share with your pals, but you will get a complete story, no matter what. Again, assuming I don't have to get in a fight with Death or something. We know what a dirty fighter he is.

I'll try my best to keep in character/in canon, but good lord. Between localization quirks, Rondo of Blood vs. Dracula X, an unclear fate as to what happened to Annette/her relationship to Maria, and whatever happened in that radio drama, it's a bit daunting. I've taken a few liberties here and there as well. Things like the size of Alucard's bat transformation, the nature of his relics, etc. (Seriously—he doesn't lug them all around, does he? The thought of him using them as some kind of tacky bracelet decorations makes me laugh.) Do call me out on my bullshit, if you feel like you need to raise a flag.

Weird. This is the one time I can use the excuse "A wizard did it" and it might be valid!


	2. Chapter 2

Carriages beat a fresh trail through the forest. People from around the small village and nearby farmsteads walked together. Maria and Richter followed their path, observing the numbers of people around them. It was hard to think this many people lived in such a tiny community. Then again, their ranks were swelled by at least two travelers. Who was to say that more weren't headed this way?

They stepped over a rise in the path. Just beyond a line of thick trees sat a circle of carriages. All wooden, painted red, horseless. Goats bleated, but were out of sight. Their stench permeated the encampment. Tiny tents popped up here and there. In the center of the circus spouted a single white and gold striped tent. Wide enough to have a one-ring-show, perhaps, but not to support the kind of advertising this place received.

"Well? What do you think?" Richter snorted. "Don't we visit the finest places?"

"You really know how to show a girl around," Maria agreed, though her voice was devoid of enthusiasm.

Richter smirked. He pushed back a wayward strand of brown hair as he laughed. "Come on. You're getting to sound as bad as that stuffy old brat."

Maria turned away, stumbling as she spoke. "I-It's fine. I'm sure. I was just expecting something a little different." She bristled, then huffed. "And what do you mean by that? Just because it's small and it stinks a little of manure doesn't mean—"

"I was just kidding!" He bumped an elbow into Maria's side. "At least you're not threatening to burn it down and salt the earth just because it doesn't have a library and a ballroom."

"He's not that uptight," Maria shook her head.

Richter grinned, then strolled ahead. "Remind me to show you the family records sometime. There's a story about a Duke Redmond's mansion that you're going to love."

The crowd gathered around an open gate in the encampment. Sitting outside it were men in glass boxes. People slid coins inside the box, then entered. Richter took note of the fee, then prepared to pay for both of them. It was his idea, after all. No reason to make her suffer for his childish antics. They waited their turn, drowning out the babbling crowd with their own quiet thoughts.

Maria lifted an eyebrow as they finally reached the boxes. She had expected to find carnival workers in costumes sitting inside. What was there instead was a shining, metallic body and a face cast in a permanent smile. Both she and Richter froze. It seemed lifeless, listing slightly. Richter slid the coins to it, keeping one hand at his side.

"Do you smell that?" Maria whispered.

Richter nodded. "Not any oil. More like—"

The mechanical man creaked as it shifted its head. There was an unsettling clatter of metal beneath its fake smile. Both Maria and Richter stepped away from it, uneasy. The rest of the patrons didn't seem to mind their eerie smiles. It was just part of the act. A strange place having strange machines for their amusement. If they didn't move any further, then why should the vampire hunters fear them?

One rude child barged his way between the pair. Both sighed, then followed the child inside the carnival. The trappings of a normal traveling show were missing. No games. No painted advertisements. No weird food. There were hardly any other staff members milling about. All that wandered were those odd metallic men, the same smile shared amongst all of them. They did the acts of other performers—strongmen stunts, juggling, knife throwing into red and white ringed targets. All with total silence, perfect accuracy.

"Doesn't look like any kids work here," Richter grumbled. "Some story that barkeep sold us."

Maria pursed her lips. "Perhaps they're in the back, feeding animals."

Richter shrugged. It was a better answer than he had. He led her to the main tent, then grumbled again. There was no sign of any major circus acts. No trapeze set, no lion tamer's chairs, no clowns. Not even a single seat. All that was present was a funhouse mirror in the center of the ring. People circled around it, baffled by its presence. Wasn't this more of a sideshow attraction? Why was it a main event?

"What do you think is the story behind this?" Richter asked.

"I don't know." Maria sighed, then shook her head. "Maybe we came too late in the day to see a show. Let's go back outside and—"

Her words were cut off by a sharp, shattering sound. It was like an ice flow cracking in two halves. The surface of the silver mirror rippled, watery in its appearance and distortions. One black boot stepped through the mirror. People gasped as a round, jolly man popped out of the mirror. He lowered his sharp top hat, then gave them a warm greeting.

"Welcome, my esteemed guests!" the little man boomed. His voice was so thick and heavy that it took the bellows of his guts to store it all. With a spinning flourish of his cane, he introduced himself. "Welcome, welcome all to Maestro Phillippe's Traveling Menagerie and Curio Shoppe! That would be my name, of course. Maestro Aster Phillippe, at your service, providing you with this evening's entertainment."

He took a great, heaving breath. His grandstanding cut off whatever mockery Richter was leaning over to tell Maria. "Now, before we begin! This will be a guided tour of my collections. I will be controlling our progression for the evening, so it is important that you keep with me at all times. There are some exhibits that people with certain conditions should avoid at all costs. If you are pregnant, hemophilic, phonophilic, trichophilic, ommatophilic, susceptible to bouts of epilepsy, of a nervous disposition—"

"On with it, you blockhead!" a rude guest shouted.

A lesser man may have shooed the shouter out of the audience. Maestro Phillippe roared with laughter. "Patience, my good man! To be terse—if you suffer from any significant malady or passionate predisposition, you must be wary as you take this tour. The sights of which you are about to see are of grandeur and beauty from every corner of civilization. I'd hardly want any guest of mine to fall prey to their charms!"

Nervous laughter spread through the crowd. Maria gave Richter a flat, frustrated glare. He shrugged, then drew back. There was no need to worry about his behavior, no matter what any significant others may have said.

"Now! If you would be so kind as to follow me…" the ringleader rumbled.

With a single tap, he placed his staff against the silver mirror. The image in its reflection warped, then shifted to new, bright grounds. He waved a gloved hand, ushering the crowd inside. There was barely enough space to step two at a time. Children rushed through, squealing. Maria and Richter hesitated, then followed the pack.

It wasn't as if magic mirrors were new to them. They were just used to seeing them in less than savory places. Certainly, not used by ringleaders in circuses.

The crowd was dropped into a reflective corridor. Its floor was caked with dirt and plants, just as real as those they had walked past in the forest. Mirrors echoed back their image, looking like an infinitely dense path. Small creatures ran about the place. They either had no knowledge or care for how strange the impossible space was. It was merely their home.

Bright lights settled around the crowd. A girl shrieked with delight. At first, Maria thought they were fireflies. As one settled on her shoulder, she beamed. Fairies. Tiny ones. Not like the familiar enthralled to Alucard—much too young. She reached out to stroke one's hair, then sighed. For just a moment, she had forgotten about her worries. Now, they felt heavier, weighed down by even the slightest of beings.

"No doubt you have heard stories about these creatures. They don't call them fairy tales on a lark," the maestro chuckled. "This colony was recovered from a moorland in Scotland. Very tame ladies, though they like to hitch rides out of their enclosure, from time to time. Be sure that they remain here when we leave."

More animals scattered along the boxed forest as the crowd strolled. Even for hunters like Maria and Richter, the sights were rare and unusual. Richter kept his arms crossed, trying to ignore the fairy folk that had taken residence in his hair. He studied the large game, clockwork ticking in his head. Not that he would have been so brash to hunt down something like a unicorn, but the snow-white stags amongst their ranks would have made for an interesting hunt.

The boasting ringleader had stories for each creature. Deer from the darkest, coldest forests of Sweden. Foxes from the Far East, all rumored to be shape-shifters, but having nothing more unusual than twinned tails. Dogs with coats as soft and curled as clouds, bouncing on spry feet. Pink and red birds with long plumage ending in hearts. An ancient phoenix in molt. On and on, content in their elaborate cage.

"Everyone, make sure you have no tag-a-longs," Maestro Phillippe demanded. "Our next exhibit is just ahead!"

Richter shooed the fairies off him. It didn't take out the braids they had worked in his hair, nor the flowers pleated within. Maria snickered. The Belmont clan was hardly one for embracing their softer side. One of Richter's ancestors responded so violently to an illness that he resurrected Dracula just to kick his butt again. Another had been unable to see that the doe-eyed wizard following his every step was a woman with a passionate crush on her rescuer. Richter carried same bluntness in his blood and head. Even if it made him immune to the charms of succubi and other seductive demons, he could be a bit rude at times.

Glass fixtures wrapped around them in the next corridor, spiraling in unearthly swirls. Maria could hardly keep standing. All around them was water, creatures swimming in an endless pool. A fish longer than her and Richter combine weaved like a serpent overhead. Nothing as large as a Leviathan, but breathtaking all the same. Richter went green in his face. He froze, trying to stop his racing heart.

Feminine shapes appeared out of the dark waters. Mermaids. Seven of them. Maria's breath caught. They watched her with envious eyes, fluttering long lashes at the man standing next to her and singing warbled songs. Fins followed them as they swirled about, transparent and shimmering, like great trailing trains from a green gown. It wasn't until their master shooed them off that they left Richter alone.

"Make sure to keep with the crowds, sir. We'd hate to lose you in the harpy cages," Maestro Phillippe teased the hunter.

Even as the group moved forward, Richter remained still. Maria stroked his arm. That was enough to snap the Belmont out of his trance. He shook his head, then looked down at Maria. Conflict was in his eyes, waging in his head. He glanced at the mermaids once more. A grimace settled on his face.

"Vexing," Richter murmured. He waved one of the creatures off, still perplexed. "Do you suppose they like living like that? In a giant, glass box?"

That was a question for which Maria had no answer. "It wouldn't be an existence I'd want. Especially if I was used to living in the ocean and going wherever I pleased."

"Indeed. It's troubling." Richter nodded. "Between them and those fairies…"

"You're right," Maria agreed. "I'm upset that I didn't think about that before."

Smirking, Richter dropped one hand into Maria's hair. He gave it a quick tousle. "You just like to assume the best about people. Perhaps we are over thinking this. After all, you keep your birds, and they're better off with you than in the wild."

"Yes, but they're domesticated. They don't have a human's need for freedom." Maria's stubborn frown remained. "Even then, I let them out of their cages."

Queasiness remained in Richter's face. "True. I hope our host is as kind. Though, I don't know where one would let mermaids roam free."

They weren't the last to feel ill. Room by room the visitors went, knees weakening. One man went still, frozen as sirens sang to him from their nests. A pack of children went screaming from a perturbed werewolf. More still were intoxicated by gentle perfume coming from a dryad's garden. Whether or not the audience felt the same pangs of consciousness now eating at the vampire hunters, they didn't know.

As the crowd slimmed down, the showman made another warning. "Seems we have a fragile audience today. I must warn you—this next wing may be particularly shocking. If you have are of a sensitive disposition, now would be the time to leave."

They stepped from bright flowers to dank, slimy walls. Both Richter and Maria's hearts jolted. It felt too much like catacombs. A cold draft went through Maria's bones. Memories of Dracula's castle flooded back. Clocks that went on forever, spike-lined hallways, plush carpets and rotting libraries. All of it was locked away in time, but as close as her own mind.

"Imps. Strange little beasts, but no more harmful than bats," Maestro Phillippe introduced one set of creatures penned up behind steel bars. He raised a hand to another cell. "Nagini, from the far corners of India. Twins, these were! Rare to see any creature share an egg, never the less these two. They've been inseparable since birth. Haven't they grown lovely?"

He turned away from them all, reaching for a lever between the cages. The floor shifted. It began to descend, the entire catacomb exhibit continuing down a massive shaft. Maria's heart raced. Something glossy was at the bottom of the dark channel. Ringed around their feet was no common metal. It reflected blue in the light, sparkling from even the tiny ember in the ringleader's staff. Did he build this? Did he find it? Even with the forces of magic at his disposal, she couldn't believe anything this elaborate could come from one man's hands.

A dark drop in Maestro Phillippe's voice sent chills down Maria's spine. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I ask that you remain silent. We are approaching a creature of refined sensitivity and instincts. Any sudden movement may disturb him. Keep to me if you must need light, but do not produce any of your own. Keep calm, stay quiet, and remain still."

Gears ground under their feet as the ring about the center of the room continued its descent. Down they went, candlelight fading, no light remaining save for the blue sheen in Maestro Phillippe's cane. Even that seemed like a novelty bauble as they reached the base of the elevator shaft. Children fidgeted, clinging to their mothers' dresses. Even the rudest of men kept silent. No one could see beyond the ringleader's cone of light, each trembling in their own terror and anticipation.

This cage was strange, unique amongst all other cells. A transparent, lustrous substance folded out in a raw, crystalline shape, panes fused together with weaved silver. Its base was molded into winding vines, crosses, snake heads, roses. Red fabric bunched at its edges, a wave of silk flooding its floors. Nothing about it was practical. It was less like a prison, more like a jewelry box. Richter drew his head back. What kind of animal required such an embellished cage?

Gold, weary eyes fluttered open in the heart of the cell's walls.

A gasp struggled to climb out of Maria's slender throat. She would have known such a fine-featured face even in complete darkness. Her left hand wandered to her lips, trying to stifle a scream. Rage? Fear? Even she didn't know what dreadful emotion filled her. Where others saw such a face in the dark, imagining a creature of immense grandeur, she found shattered elegance.

The ringleader's words went mute in her throbbing ears. Anger came on like a fever. Maria couldn't bear the indignity of this display, of Alucard behind lock and key. His face was thin, ashen, cracked from malnourishment. Hair hung in unkempt rings around him, splintering at the ends. What was hidden behind tattered cloth, pooling layers of black silk and cotton? Was the rest of his skin as blue as his lips? Could he speak, or could he do no more than exhale dust?

What was he doing here? Why wasn't he fighting to escape? Teleporting through the walls, turning into mist, anything? Why did he have to look at her with those eyes, burning through her, searing her heart? Why wasn't she fighting for him? Why was she holding her breath?

Words finally pierced her mind. "Young lady? Are you alright?"

Raging lava would have spilled out of her mouth had Richter not grabbed her hand. "She will be fine, sir. Just a slight case of the vapors."

"Understandable. Breathtaking, isn't he?" Maestro Phillippe beamed. "As beautiful as the Fallen Star. No telling how many women have fallen prey to his charms, nor how he earned the furnace of hell in his eyes. But, no reflection. No knowledge of how handsome he truly is. Sad, isn't it? For a magician of the mirror like myself, I couldn't bear it."

"What have you…" Maria struggled to speak. "How did you find him?"

An old chestnut blocked her inquiry. "Now, now. A magician never reveals his secrets."

The ringleader reached for the elevator's lever. Once more, their platform groaned to life. Maria jolted, taking one step towards Alucard's cage before Richter squeezed her hand. Moths scattered in her mind, beating confused wings across her thoughts. His eyes locked onto hers, and she went numb. Knees breached the perimeter of his cloak as he stood, watching her disappear into the levels above. Hers would have given away, had Richter not held her.

The shining light in Alucard's eyes vanished from her sight, swallowed up by insatiable darkness.

She could hardly be moved from the elevator as it reached the mirror at the top of the crypt. Her brain was devoting all of its power to releasing her companion. Should she summon her beasts now, smash the top open and tear him out? Would they make it outside of the mirror-sealed room? How could she make it back into this forgotten hole without Maestro Phillippe's cooperation? If she didn't have that, could she sink to the lowness of a thief?

"Sir?" the ringleader addressed Richter. "I think you ought to take the young lady home. She seems distraught."

Richter made a grunt. He gave Maria's hand a tug. Something menacing churned in his head, but it didn't spill out of his eyes. Not like her. She lowered her head, brushed worried tears aside. This wasn't the time. Even if she had the Belmont family's stopwatch, even if she could freeze time and cry, this wasn't what she needed to be doing.

Stepping out of the portal felt like pulling herself out of a cold bath. She didn't dare look up, didn't watch the kids swarming around makeshift shops and other attractions. Out. In. Either way, she needed to go. Back into that consuming darkness. Away to weep in privacy. Not here. No more. She was done with the jolly ringleader and his sick menagerie.

They were deep into the forest again before Richter spoke. "Maria, he'll be alright. He lived in a castle with monsters for decades. He slept for hundreds of years without so much as a single midnight snack. He'll be fine until—"

"His damned devil of a father at least knew how to care for him!" Maria was livid. "Did you not see how hollowed out he was? He's got to be sick or sleep deprived or—"

"—Until we come back, fully armed and prepared to take him," Richter finished his thoughts.

Red anger faded to a pink flush in Maria's face. "Tonight?"

Richter snorted. "Well, I wasn't planning on waiting until Easter."

/***/

Author's Note

Hi again! Thanks for coming back. I'm very flattered by the kind messages you guys left behind. Here's hoping this maintained your interest!


	3. Chapter 3

What a strange, twisted joke it was for a Belmont to be rescuing Dracula's offspring.

Perhaps it was stranger before. The last hand Richter ever expected to lift him from the fires of hell was that of the dark lord's son. No wonder Maria had such fondness for the dhampir. Even as cold and distant as he could be, there was some gentle force that brought his tepid blood to bubble forth in defense of humans. How could Richter not return the favor? He'd be even more of a monster than his foes to ignore the plight of the captive dhampir.

He made sure to load himself down with every possible weapon he'd need. A bit overkill for secreting someone away from a circus, but a Belmont always had to be prepared. Whip? Check. Knives, axes, and holy water? Check. Specialty watch? Double-check. Perhaps not as potent as actual weapons, but the stopwatch gave him the advantage of time. Something to let him sneak around better. Bandages, garlic, stakes—he took anything any sensible vampire slayer would have packed.

Maria was not so optimized.

"That's all you brought?" Richter chided his young sister-in-law. "A canteen? And…what's in that package?"

Maria shook a finger, then tucked both items away. "Never you mind. What are you doing lugging all of that around, anyway? You're more likely to trip over yourself than use all of it!"

"At least I am prepared for war. What do you plan on doing—kicking your enemies to death?" Richter snickered. "Not bringing even one of your attack owls?"

"Have you ever tried taking a bird on a mission of secrecy? One little noise, and they panic—training or not." Striking a hand on her sternum, Maria lifted her head. "Besides—I have the power of four celestial beasts on my side. What else would I need?"

Richter crinkled his nose. "Perhaps a cloak? How are you not cold? We're hardly out of the grasp of winter!"

She flushed bright red again. Richter hissed through his teeth. The young lady was burning under her own passions. No wonder she was acting so foolish. He could only wonder what thoughts made her beam pinker than a rising sun. Even now, so many years after he had saved her life, she was still that enthusiastic child deep down. Foolish, perhaps, but so very energetic.

"Running a fever, then. A Fahrenheit for a Fahrenheit," Richter joked. "Looks like his sire was on the money with his middle name."

"Hush!" Maria scolded him.

Rolling his head, Richter continued on. "I could ruin all sorts of things about him for you. It was part of my training, after all. To know every last disturbing detail about creatures of the night like him."

Maria shook her head. She hissed. "No! Quiet! Look."

Milling about the circus grounds were twenty cobbled-together golems. They moved in rotating steps, circling tents and carriages. Their eyes were cold, white in the darkness. Faint starlight caught molded teeth and unnerving grins. Richter knelt next to Maria as he studied their movements. There was no randomness in their winding paths.

"Sentries," Richter murmured. "Perfect."

Maria shifted to his side. "We shouldn't have to worry about all of them. All we need to do is get that ringleader's scepter and sneak into the main tent."

"It wouldn't hurt to search for Alucard's items. I'm assuming his trinkets would have been fascinating for a magician to study," Richter added. He edged forward, whispering his plan. "Keep to me. Run when I do. We'll start by gutting the carriages. If we don't find anything there, we'll move into the other tents."

"And if we can't find anything to get into that mirror world?" Maria asked.

If a Belmont could ever make a wicked smile, Richter was doing so now. "Just leave those worries to me, my fair lady."

They slid down the path, taking a slow descent. Dry soil and dead grass crumpled under their steps. They pushed against the closest carriage's wheels. Richter reached for his stopwatch. He took deep breaths, giving one last study of the circling sentries. He held onto Maria's hand, then clicked the watch. Everything stopped.

Five seconds. That was all they had. Both ran into the first carriage. They kept to their knees, shutting the door behind them. When reality chugged to life, they were well hidden. Maria pursed her lips, blowing a silent whistle. Such a tool was powerful. In the hands of a thief or an assassin? Calamitous.

"Let's search," Richter ordered.

The two crawled forward. Old crates surrounded them. There was very little of interest within them. Rotted clothing, knickknacks, emptied coin purses. Some smelt of fresh hay, others perfume. A torn banner draped above their heads. The letters were all faded, illegible.

Maria bobbed her head towards the door. "Next one."

Richter agreed. He grabbed her hand, then nudged the door open. Once more, they set the watch and ran. They dashed into the next carriage, the wheels shuddering beneath them. It was less interesting than the first carriage. Nothing but emptied cages, rusting buckets. They grumbled, then sped off.

Leave it to the third carriage to be the odd one. Both Maria and Richter frowned as they began their search once more. This was hardly utilitarian or storage. A dusty quilt covered an empty bed. Next to it was a small vanity, painted white and adorned with pink and red roses. Dolls sat everywhere in the carriage. Dust coated them as well, save for one pale, ball-jointed doll.

Maria picked it up, then flipped it around. Its eyes were a haunting shade of blue, its dress matching. White hair fell from its head. She brushed it, then jolted back. Even through her gloves, the texture was too familiar. She had spent long nights combing through it, letting curls spiral through her fingertips, grinning like a cheeky devil as its owner sighed in embarrassment.

"This is Alucard's hair!" Maria hissed.

Richter pulled a sour face. "Someone used human—well, dhampir—hair for a doll? Disgusting."

That pink blush in Maria's face went bright red. "W-well, I find it's rather nice."

"I'm not saying—that's not what I—" The comment threw Richter for a loop. "Just the act is vile. Not the materials."

Maria could agree to that. "This must be for a little girl. It's clean enough, so maybe it's been played with recently."

Richter lifted his head, then shook it. "The rest of this place is filthy. I doubt any child would live here. If anything…it's a tribute."

"A tribute?" Maria echoed.

"You know. A memorial." Richter tried to approach the subject as softly as he could. "For…someone who is no longer here."

Maria sank, letting the doll settle on her knees. Perhaps whoever slept here was part of this circus long ago. Someone special to Maestro Phillippe, undoubtedly. She sighed, then placed the doll on the vanity once more. She fanned out its dress, then smoothed its hair. She wasn't going to hold a grudge on a dead child over something as simple as a toy.

"Let's keep moving," Maria urged.

Time stopped once more. They passed through the dark night, leaping over the head of one sentry. The next carriage was stuffed to the ceiling with fresh clothing and costumes. All manners of rich items were laid against the walls. Jewelry, coins, broken crowns, tiaras, family crests and swords. Maria beamed at one sword propped against the wall. With black and red scrawling details on its hilt, she had no doubt as to whom it belonged. She plucked it from the heap, then slid its sheath onto her hip.

"Oh! It's heavier than I thought it would be," she giggled.

Richter sighed. "Keep your voice down."

"Sorry. Just a bit exciting," Maria smirked. "I feel a little like a rogue. Maybe a lady knight. A guard for a princess? I don't know! Something exhilarating."

"Guard for a princess," Richter smirked. "I think such imagery would put Alucard to shame. Particularly with the implications you're making about him."

Maria shook her head. "You are just—oh! There it is!"

Tangled in a rat's nest of necklaces was a strand of glowing beads. Richter knelt down, then picked through the mess. He shook it free. Maria studied the strand of charms, sighing. Some of Alucard's relics were smashed or missing. The mermaid charm was snapped at its waist. One mist-marked gem was shattered. A few dangling bits were gone here and there, but what remained could still be of some use.

"Looks like Maestro Phillippe didn't take particularly good care of it," Maria grumbled.

"No. Seems like he just throws riches together." Richter shook his head. "What's the point of accumulating wealth like this if you're not going to care for it?"

Maria shrugged her shoulders. "If you don't know, I wouldn't either." She gave one glance around, then asked, "I suppose you didn't see anything else belonging to Alucard? No shield or armor?"

Richter grunted. "No. Nothing of the sort."

"Pity. I hope they weren't stolen or destroyed," Maria sighed.

"You know, most people wouldn't go around fully armed at all times," Richter chided his youthful companion. "Unless you think most people travel the world armed to the teeth."

"You're right. I'm just used to how you behave." She grinned, then reached for the carriage's door. "Come on! Let's—"

White light appeared through a crack in the door.

Richter panicked. Without a second thought, he flipped his watch on. There was no time to grab Maria's hand. She and the rest of the world froze as mechanical fingers slipped through the open door. The vampire hunter paced to it, eyes widened. One of the sentries. They must have heard them goofing off!

The world unfroze for half a second. Richter hit the watch again. It was hard to think in five second bursts. Fighting seemed to be the obvious solution. He released his whip, then cracked the golem in the face. Every few seconds, it would jut forward, closer and closer to Maria as she became more aware of the danger she was in. He kept drilling into it, the power in his magic clock trickling out. Finally, a violent fissure broke through stilled time. He dropped his stance, letting the world clatter back to full speed as the golem fell.

Maria was swift enough to stifle her own scream. As Richter dragged the beaten guard inside, she whispered through her fingers. "That was too close! I'm so sorry. I must have—"

"Shush. No time for panicking." Richter shoved the guard into the corner. He searched the carriage for anything that could cover it. He turned to face it once more, then grimaced.

Slowly, ichor oozed from the sentry's mask. Maria and Richter knelt over it. She covered her mouth, shock in her diaphragm once more. The mask sunk away. Behind it sat putrefied flesh and bone. Eyes and teeth were forced forward, transfixed since the moment of its death. The rest of its armor continued to slide forth, revealing the body mashed inside of its plates.

"What is that?" Maria gasped.

Richter's face coiled in disgust. "I…don't know. If it was human, it hasn't been that way in a long time."

Its state of decay couldn't have been caused by Richter beating it to death. This was the product of some dark, vile force. Necromancy? It was always a possibility. For something as folksy and backwoods as a circus act? Disturbing. Not even the kind of joke that cackling Death himself would play.

"We've got to get out of here," Maria ordered.

"Good idea," Richter agreed.

White eyes shimmered across the encampment, all focused on the stinking carriage. They bolted for the carriage's door. Both Maria and Richter gasped. If they crowded into the small compartment, the golems would crush them in no time. Richter grabbed her hand, then gave his stopwatch another squeeze. It sputtered, but it went. Damned if the trinket wasn't giving them its all. The vampire hunters shoved their way out, ducking below a frozen fist.

"Time for Plan B?" Richter asked.

Maria sighed. "And that is?"

Richter nudged Maria onwards. "To the main tent. Quickly!"

A wise man would have run in the opposite direction—out of the carnival and the forest entirely. What the two heroes lacked in tactical intelligence, they made up for in foolish bravery. Richter dove under one golem, cracking it in its hide quarters as he recovered from his roll. Maria bounced off the same monster's back. Blue energy coursed in her wake as a cold dragon's spirit came to her summons. The golem beneath her fell to the ground, cracking.

The pair rolled into the main tent. Richter took defense over the circus' front. "Alright. All we have to do is keep them at bay. Stay back, and let me handle this. Once that maestro fellow shows up, you jump him and steal his staff."

"That's mad!" Maria exclaimed. "You can't possibly hold off eighteen of these creatures on your own. And what if they—"

Her sentence was torn in half by metallic fingers ripping through cloth. More golems pulled through the back. Maria gave an irritated groan. How did Richter expect to funnel monsters through one doorway when they could tear apart the circus tent like it was made of tissue? She grimaced, then stomped her foot.

There was always one trick they could try.

"Throw me Alucard's relics!" Maria demanded.

Richter gave her a weird look, but said nothing. He pitched the jewelry to Maria. The lady turned her back to the monsters, flipping through the charms. She said a silent prayer as she went, hoping it wouldn't be broken. A wide smile escaped her as a fist raised over her head. She ducked, letting Richter drive the golem back, then hopped to the mirror.

"Please, please work," Maria pleaded.

In the center of her hand was a turquoise gem. She knew Alucard had used the stone to break the seals around Dracula's castle before. Perhaps there was a bit of a miracle left in it. She pressed it to the mirror's surface. Warbling blue light came from the point of contact. It rippled, then created a clear image—the forest pen.

Well, it was a start.

She turned to Richter, then shouted, "Get in!"

The vampire hunter nodded. He dropped his assault, then dove inside. Maria was two seconds behind him. She landed on his stomach. He grumbled, then pulled her back. A metallic hand was reaching through the portal, still trying to get to them. The mirror fizzled out. A squelch separated the invading golem's hand from its arm. It clattered to the ground, oozing, motionless.

"Hurrah for Plan C," Richter wheezed.

Maria hopped off the squashed vampire hunter. "Sorry." She lowered her head, then smiled. Her grin was less from joy and more from dizzy worries. "What do you suppose will happen now?"

"I'm guessing those golems will be fetching their master shortly." Richter stood up, then dusted off the back of his trousers. "If he's got any sense at all, he'll know we're after Alucard. Particularly after the reaction you had. If I were a nefarious fellow, I'd use that information against us to trap us when we reach his cell."

"Let's get moving, then. We won't let him have the time to do that," Maria ordered.

She placed the stone to the mirror's surface again. A press brought her to the aquarium. She paused, then tapped the stone again. She continued her cycling, waiting for the catacombs to appear. When they did, she struck once more on accident. Cursing herself, she flipped faster until Alucard's prison came forth once more.

"Are you sure you know how to use that thing?" Richter teased.

Maria swatted him into the portal. "Just get moving!"

Both jumped into the dark abyss. A ring of torches burned around them, illuminating the glaring eyes of the nagini twins and hungry imps. Maria shook her head, then tugged one of the torches from the wall. Richter searched for the elevator's lever. Once he had located it, he gave it a short tug.

The elevator squealed as it descended. Richter kept his eyes fixed above, Maria's below. The hunter murmured to himself. "Suppose no one can get to us if we've got control of the elevator."

"As long as there's not another mirror at the bottom," Maria said. She leaned on the elevator's safety railing, hands crossed at the wrist. The smile she gave him was demure, soothing. "If I haven't thanked you yet…you have my gratitude."

Richter crossed his arms, giving her a crooked smirk. "Save your words for when we escape. I'm hardly done repaying you both."

Slowly, Alucard's cage came into view. Maria was nearly over the edge of the guard rails, watching for gold eyes in the dark. She settled back as they finished their descent. The incredible nature of his prison sank into her head. That anyone could hold him captive in such an elegant prison, too grand a cell for holding any king hostage…it seemed like the product of fairy tales.

How could anyone have such strength and resources to make all of this—especially for some sideshow act?

Maria and Richter stepped off the ringed elevator. Cold pebbles scattered beneath their feet as they approached the cage. The base of it was up to Maria's waist in decorative sculptures. She twisted Alucard's chain of relics, peering for anything that could be a keyhole. This was rash. Too rash. If his charms couldn't free him, then what? Was Richter strong enough to smash the walls of Alucard's cell open? Would they have to wander into the jaws of their enemies once more, hunting for a key? Fate only knew if they could evade a second attack.

Richter bobbed his head upwards. "Maria."

She lifted hers. A short gasp faded into a bright smile. Alucard was kneeling above her, studying what she was doing. She weaved her fingers between elaborate silver decorations, patting the surface of his cell. It felt strong, smooth, heavy. Thick enough that she couldn't feel soft movements as Alucard shifted forward, reached for her hand, stroked back.

The relief in his eyes and his slow motion over her fingertips said more than he would ever let slip from his teeth.


	4. Chapter 4

"Can you hear us?" Maria asked. "We're going to get you out!"

The dhampir's head listed. Maria sighed. The walls to his cell were too thick for him to understand her words. She jingled Alucard's relics, then pantomimed her statement. Low embers in his eyes sparked. With precise, crisp movements, plans spilled from his fingers. He drew a thin line in the air, then rotated an invisible strand about his wrist. Maria passed her torch to Richter, then pulled Alucard's relics about in the same fashion. He stopped when the blue jewel was in her hand again, then nodded.

Maria grumbled, then tapped a finger on her forehead. "We know!" She dropped her hands, then jammed the stone forward, picking at an invisible keyhole. "Where's the lock?"

Alucard drew his head back, pursing his lips. He stood up, then flicked two fingers at Maria. When he moved to the right, she followed. He knelt at a corner, then pointed down. She smiled. Easy enough! Following his instructions, she checked the designated ridge. She gave the dhampir a raised eyebrow, then shook her head. Still no obvious lock in sight.

With a protracted sigh, Alucard raised his right hand. He pressed his thumb beneath his fingers, then clapped them together twice.

"Oh! In there." Richter crouched down. "In the snake's mouth."

Maria bristled. She sat with him, grimacing. Inside of a carved viper's mouth, there were all sorts of winding gears. A black hole sat in the center of all of that. Fair enough. She flipped the unlocking jewel to the front of her thumb, then sighed. Unnerving, perhaps, but if this was going to save Alucard—

She screamed as the snake's jaws snapped around her arm.

Opening her eyes, she groaned. Her flesh hadn't been pierced by metal teeth. It was just a stabilizing mechanism. Perhaps the true key for this cage was long and had a bad habit of slipping. She regained her composure, fighting the urge to swat the snickers right out of Richter's mouth. With a single click, the lock disengaged.

Grumbling metal echoed through the base of the catacomb-like pen. Alucard stood once more. He signaled for the two humans to follow him. Both trailed after him, eager to continue his jailbreak. Richter stopped alongside the cage, finding a new detail in its metal workings. He smiled, then traced ridges with his fingers.

"Look! Hinges." Richter was pleased with his deductive skills. "So that's it. Once you've released the second lock, this hatch will fall back. Good craftsmanship. I hardly noticed it amongst the carvings! And silver! Nothing makes a vampire battier than being caged in silver."

"Pardon me if I'm a little less enthusiastic about that," Maria groaned.

Richter crossed his arms. "You should be! If you ever want a perfect shield for facing a vampire, you use silver. No wonder Alucard didn't break out of this. Silver catches light easily, so even the slightest flicker would be enough to—"

Maria threw him a dirty look. "Could you stand away from the door so I don't end up crushing you?"

"—repel dark forces." Richter backed away from the cell. He shrugged his shoulders, trying appeal to Alucard for support. "You know what I'm saying, right?"

Alucard blinked.

"Perhaps not," Richter huffed. "I feel as though I'm talking to two walls."

That was a problem Maria could fix. She knelt down, then jammed her hand into a second viper's head. With a twist and a yank, the second lock gave way. Sturdy chains peeled from inside the cell's supports, slowing the door's descent. There was not so much as a squeal as it landed on the ground. Richter approached it again, tapping on its interior surface. Silver-oxidized metal was on the inside of the cage. Thick and repellant, bouncing his fist back at the slightest force. Truly impressive material.

Maria was less interested in that. She leapt onto the panel, missing Richter's fingers by inches. One more bounce, and she was inside Alucard's cell. How strange it felt to stand inside such a snarl of eloquent design and cruel imprisonment. Its ceiling felt as if it was pressing down on her head, a sharp chill striking exposed skin. Every small movement made a metallic clink.

She was dazzled—by the situation, this prison, her friend's spectral appearance in the low light. Her breath was gone, words babbling and meaningless. "I was…You seem…"

Alucard was just as speechless. The veil through which he filtered his words crammed them together. "I am…I apologize for…" He shook his head, then cleared his thoughts. "You both must have gone to great lengths to aid me. I am grateful for your help."

Richter shrugged his shoulders. "What are friends for?" He leaned against the cell's exterior. "Pardon me if I don't wish to enter. I think it would be in poor showing if our pursuers came after us, and all three of us were conveniently standing in a cage."

"Then, my captor still lives?" Alucard asked.

"We were hoping to secret you away in the night," Maria explained. "Killing him seemed unethical. Although, now...perhaps it would have been wise."

Alucard lowered his head. "Perhaps. But, we can get answers from him, should we choose. I have many questions."

"No kidding." Richter agreed. He counted his complaints on calloused fingers. "These mirror rooms, holding a menagerie full of monsters, those golems, that strange carriage…there's just too much odd behavior going on for one man!"

"If there are any questions you think I may help answer, please let me know," Alucard replied. "Maria? May I—"

He didn't have to finish his request. With a set of clicks and a quick shimmy, she passed his sword's sheath to him. He clipped the sheath's chain to his belt. Such a familiar weight on his waist was reassuring. After the dhampir was finished arming himself, Maria grabbed his right wrist. She dropped his relics into his hand.

Alucard wound the charms about his arm. They were in unfortunate condition. Even the charm that had freed him with was about to fall loose, its locking clasp weak. He took the turquoise trinket between his fingers, then released the lock. With one smooth gesture, he drew Maria's hand towards him. Warmth from her fingertips seeped through doeskin gloves, past his own, into tepid flesh. He slipped the gem into her palm, then folded delicate fingers shut.

"Keep this safe," Alucard instructed.

Maria tipped her head. "But, it's yours."

"You used it to unlock my cage. You must have used it prior to reach me, correct?" Alucard's eyes softened. He lowered his head, trying to avoid what guarded emotion was welling there. "We are not out of harm's way. If danger should occur, and any of us were under duress—"

"The lady has a chance to get away," Richter cut in. He smirked. "Can't say I argue with that. Though, damned if I'll ever be taken captive by any mongrels again!"

"Such commendable spirit," Alucard replied.

His gait was not as graceful as his words. Alucard was slow to step out of his cell. The incline on the panel was steep, and his boots didn't take traction well. Maria spared him from his indignity. She slid ahead of him, then took his hand. He was steady once he was on flat ground. Still, he moved slowly, his spine rigid.

"Forgive me, if I hold you back," Alucard murmured. "I haven't had much opportunity to stretch my legs. I may have atrophied somewhat."

Maria gave him a bright smile. "I've got the fix for that. Sit."

Alucard glared at her, as if she'd asked him to do something as disgusting as sleeping in a pig pen. "On the ground?"

Even from one with vampire's teeth, Maria wouldn't take any guff. She whistled, then pointed down. Alucard sighed, then complied. Richter echoed his sentiments. The last thing they needed was to stop and lick their wounds while men and monsters were on their scent. Watching Maria fuss over Alucard was bizarre, like a kitten grooming a wolf's ears. He caught second-hand embarrassment from the dhampir, flushing when his companion could not.

"Here. Drink." Maria passed off her canteen.

Alucard didn't protest. The temperature from the cold water flooded his chest as he drank. If he closed his eyes, he could still feel lake waves nipping at his skin, soaking through his clothes and flesh. He took his fill, then passed it back. It wasn't a second later that Maria had a package undone and was directing its contents towards his mouth. He jerked back. Sweet and tart scents overlapped, causing chaos in his mind.

Richter managed to stifle a wild laugh, but just barely. "A pastry? Maria, that's not—"

Maria had an explanation already at hand. "Listen! I know it's not great, but we need to get him moving. If he gets some sugar into his bloodstream, it should provide a good amount of short-term energy. It's either this, or he takes a pint from one of us. Unless you're volunteering?"

A small tug on her fingertips silenced her. She would have hardly noticed the motion, had a bite not been taken out of the food balancing at the edge of her hand. Alucard turned his head, trying to hide his chewing. She chuckled, then gave him the rest of it. He was always so guarded about when he was eating, as if there was something shameful about such a common act. She spun to her left, studying the strange environment once more. He probably hadn't had much for privacy over the last month. She could give him a little of that.

Richter drifted away from the awkward pair, spending his time looking over the cage once more. The material lining the walls caught light well. His reflection was obscured, but somewhat present. There wasn't much inside it, save for the peculiar silk fabric flowing over the floor. Not even so much as simple things that a human prisoner would need—a bed, a washstand, a chamber pot. No accompanying stench from the lack of these items, either.

Weird.

"You haven't been eating, have you?" Richter deduced.

Alucard raised his head. "Pardon?"

"You're a dhampir, not a vampire. You don't have to eat as often as we humans, but you do at some point need to consume something. It's not like you've been asleep throughout your entire captivity, so you've needed some fuel to keep you going." Richter continued on his spiel, as if he were lecturing page-boys on the subject. "But, if you haven't been making use of a chamber pot, and your cell doesn't stink of—"

"Richter!" Maria shouted. "What kind of talk is this?"

"Half-humans have to half-go sometimes, Maria," Richter shrugged. "Fact of life."

The dhampir cleaned his mouth, then shook his head. "Not that I truly wish to engage discussing such an uncouth topic, but your deductions are correct. I have not had solid food since my incarceration. If we could avoid an interrogation about what toiletry behaviors I have taken up since that time—"

"Liquids only, then?" Richter asked. "That leaves very little to my imagination."

Maria gave an irritated sigh. "Richter, enough of this."

Richter turned away from the prison. "Sorry. Just curiosity getting the better of me." He leaned against silver embellishments, then grinned. "Nobody knows how one with a vampire's blood works better than my family, Maria. I'm curious if Alucard's condition is due to a lack of proper food, sleep, or something else."

"My condition?" Alucard repeated.

"You're…well, it's not bad, but…" Maria winced. "Your skin is cracked. A little…well, you're always pale, but..." Her shoulders dropped. "Sorry, but you look ill."

The gaps in her words were filled with his own insecurities. A sick dhampir? It wasn't as if Dracula ever came down with a case of the sniffles. Being afflicted with vampirism was the only illness one like a vampire or dhampir could have, if one could call such a condition a disease. To look as frail in her eyes as she described was disheartening. It wasn't as if he could judge the quality of his appearance in any mirror, being as he was. All he had to evaluate himself was the eyes of others and what little of himself he could see.

Even then…if they were repulsed by him now…

"Blood," Alucard said. "The only substance I've been offered is blood."

"I figured as much." Richter nodded. "What kind? Goat? I keep hearing them all over the place."

The folds of Alucard's cloak consumed him as he shrunk away from Richter's eyes. "Thinking of it nauseates me."

"A dhampir with a sensitive stomach. There's one for the family records," Richter smirked.

"Well, no more of talk of that, then!" Maria hopped to her feet. "Come on. We'll get you out of here, then we can get you healed up."

Richter rolled his eyes, throwing his head back. Finally! They were done with their damn little picnic. He nudged both of them forward, then shoved the elevator's lever upright. With any luck, their flight out would be much simpler. At least Alucard seemed to be keeping upright with a little more poise. Maybe Maria was onto something. If nothing else, the energy flowing from her was keeping the group's spirits raised. It was impressive what the young lady could do to strengthen alliances.

"Good fortune that no one found us downstairs," Richter smirked.

"Agreed," Alucard nodded. "The walls of my prison have made for an unappealing portal in the past."

Growling, Richter sighed. "You mean we could have just used that to smuggle you out of here?"

Alucard pinched his eyebrows together. "I do not know about that. However, my captor is talented in using reflective materials to his will. I was foolish enough to disturb him on a frozen lake. The magic he used against me there was overwhelming."

"Reflective materials?" Maria placed a hand against her forehead. "And here, we thought we did you well, fetching your sword. What good is a metal blade going to be against someone like that?"

"Well, if we're in a tangle, we've got nothing to fear," Richter smirked. "If I take some of the enchantments off my Vampire Killer, then I won't have to worry about that being manipulated by magic. Long as I ease off my additional weapons, I will be a fine lead for any charge we must make. You've got your celestial beasts, so you should be prepared as well. Alucard can at least use magic or fight in another form. Or hide as a bat in your hair. Either way."

Maria cringed. She shot Alucard a look, clasping her hands over her head. "You wouldn't."

Alucard contemplated the suggestion. "In such a form, I would not be heavy enough to harm you."

That was not the reassurance Maria was looking for. She pulled her hair upwards, scrunching underneath it. Richter laughed, then patted her on the shoulder. All that earned him was an elbow in the gut. He shrunk back, still chuckling.

The elevator stopped at the top. Richter and Maria stepped from it. Alucard moved after them, so drawn beneath his cloak that it looked like he was gliding. While his friends fussed with their exit, he drew his attention towards the iron-barred cages surrounding them. Irritating imps. Their foul, violent chattering gave him a migraine. He stopped his gaze on the two squirming nagini. Warm, brown eyes radiated a comforting aura. He walked from his companions, then examined the twins.

He could feel the pair curl around his brain as they spoke in perfect unison. "Namaste. Where are you to go?"

"I plan on leaving here," Alucard shared.

Both gave a low hiss. "Freedom. No more than a myth."

Alucard knelt down. He held eye-contact with them, words gentle and sincere. "It is not so, outside of this place."

"Alucard? What are you doing?" Maria chirped over his shoulder. As light as her voice was, it was enough to shock him out of his conversation.

"I am not at ease leaving these two behind. They have sentience like our own." The dhampir stood up again. "They seem amiable enough. If they agree to the terms of their release, I would feel at ease having helped them."

Richter crashed to the pair's side. "Are you sure? We're on a strict timeline, here. We could get caught dragging our feet."

"It's not a bad idea," Maria smiled. "After all, we're already freeing one person."

"Not that I'm against a gesture of kindness, but how are you to enforce anything they do?" Richter asked the pair. "If these monsters escape into the woods and harm other humans—"

Alucard's gaze went stern. "I will see to it that they do no such thing. Long as they swear allegiance to us." He glanced back to the twin nagini. "What say you? Shall you have freedom and gratitude to the hands of humans?"

With a unified bob, they agreed. "So be it. We seek shall seek the heat of our homeland, not of mankind's blood."

Alucard nodded at Maria. "Go ahead. Release them."

She did as he asked. Tracing over the front of their pen, she found another viper's maw. The lock was much simpler to release than that to Alucard's cage. Once the bars to their cage dropped, they surged out, tails and scales oozing around them. Maria couldn't help but be envious of their smooth movements.

Both slithered arms around Alucard's shoulders, cheeks turning from deep brown to dark maroon. "We thank you."

"You are both welcome." Alucard lifted his head, addressing Maria. "Shall we be off?"

The young lady nodded. She turned away, flushed in her own right. Jealousy? Some curious infatuation? Richter didn't dare tease her this time. He paced behind her, watching in amusement as she tapped the turquoise gem to the mirror. A portal opened, another pen waiting for them to clear. He gave a look at Alucard's predicament, tails hooking around his ankles, and laughed.

This rescue attempt was starting to look more like a monster's ball.


	5. Chapter 5

They were up two harpies, a siren, a flock of fairies, a nymph, a werewolf, and five shape-shifting merfolk within very little time. They would have had seven, had the last two mermaids not tried to pull Maria into their tank.

Such a peculiar collection of comrades didn't escape Richter's notice.

It was only natural that Alucard had a way with women of any species. He was quiet, reserved, bearing some glean of gallantry long since lost from the world. Pleasing to the eye, if the Belmont was forced to admit such a thing. Even if he was the exact opposite of all of these traits, he would still have a commanding air to him. Some power from his father, no doubt. The vampire lord always had half a dozen naked sorceresses riding skulls in his ranks. Not to mention the decapitated Medusa heads, women born from roses, and honest-to-God assassin maids.

"If I didn't know better, I would think we are trying to restock Dracula's castle," Richter smirked.

Maria sulked. She squeezed water out of her hair, then whipped it back. "Not once did I get as drenched and filthy there as I have here!"

"You mustn't have visited the underground caverns, then," Alucard interjected.

"I wasn't on a sight-seeing tour, you know," she growled.

At least they wouldn't have to wander this strange realm forever. It didn't comfort the group as they passed through their latest room. It felt heavy, its ironwork overbearing. Creaking chandeliers held sloppy remnants of melted candles. Dozens of dusty mirrors lined the walls, cages and crates stacked between them. A wooden stairwell to the back led to a door with a slumping knob. This didn't feel like something that was supposed to be on the menagerie tour. Even if she and Richter hadn't been able to finish it, she couldn't think someone would want such a messy room to be a place an audience saw.

"What do you suppose is this room's purpose?" Richter asked.

Maria shook her head. "Pardon me if I'm not feeling so curious about it. I've had more than enough of this place."

She stepped over the werewolf's tail, dodging an accidental swat from a harpy's wings. This place was getting way too crowded. Slipping the unlocking gemstone into the palm of her hand, she dragged her fingers across one mirror's surface. Reflections rippled like standing water. Once more, places they had previously visited appeared. She kept pressing on, waiting to feel cold night air slipping through her fingertips once more.

A bleat shocked her out of her thoughts. That was no sound she recognized. She turned around, facing the crowd of monsters behind her. They seemed fine, if a little irritated with her slowness. She looked into the mirrors once more. Nothing there, either. Where had that sound come from?

"If someone else could tell me they heard that, it would be appreciated," Maria sighed.

Tiny voices gossiped over her shoulder. Leave it a flock of fairies to be such a bunch of loud mouths. She shook her head, then went back to tapping on the mirrors. Strange rooms flooded her vision. Nothing looked like their exit—prisms floating in mid-air, closets full of suspended puppets, darkness throbbing with amethyst veins. Where had all of these new rooms come from? Was she going mad? Granted, she was a little tired, but she didn't think she was to the point where she was hallucinating.

A thump crashed above her. Everyone glanced upwards. A second and third smack hit the door at the top of the steps. Maria pulled back to get a look at what was going on. An opalescent spiral pierced a weak plank of wood. Splinters cascaded on the last attack as a massive blur jumped over the side of the stairwell.

Creatures scattered as an equine smashed onto the floor. It was foaming, rabid, streaked with black and blue marks. The diseased beast pushed forward on its broken chest, horn lancing towards Richter and Alucard. With another shove, it knocked the dhampir against a cage. He leapt off the floor, then pitched forward, taking to the form of a tiny bat as he evaded the crazed monster. Maria caught him before he hit the walls. Richter drew his whip, then pushed forward. With a single crack, he pulled another cage over the sick equine's head. It thrashed, then fell, tangled into place.

"Anyone going to help me with this?" Richter growled.

Out of all the monsters surrounding him, only Maria stepped to his side. She knelt down, a black ball of leather and fluff peaking his head through her fingers. She let Alucard go once she was certain the equine wasn't going anywhere. The dhampir puffed back to his original form, then joined the humans' investigations. Only then did any of the charges accompanying them approach the downed creature.

Maria leaned over its body. "A unicorn?" She reached up its neck, looking into its face. "I've never seen one in such a state."

"It smells of disease," the werewolf growled over her shoulder. "Stay back."

Richter circled around the creature. "What is its infliction? Rabies, or—ah!"

A hoof grazed his leg. Alucard rose, darting to pull the injured Belmont away from the beast. It lashed harder in his presence, seeking to strike him as well. Both backed off, faces fixed in frustration. As soon as they left, the creature settled down, its body flopping heavily on the ground, lungs shaking as it exhaled labored breaths.

"Ah, of course," Richter nodded. "Pure maidens and whatnot."

Maria lifted her head. "What?"

"It won't get upset around you, Maria." Richter winced, then shifted his weight. "If you don't mind looking it over. Perhaps…showing it mercy."

His tone drove home some darker request. Maria glanced at the downed creature once more. It continued to shudder, blood pooling from its mouth, pain leaving red cracks in black eyes. There were tears throughout its flank, punctures in its neck. Sores just below its ankles ached, raw and open, black and indigo injuries smearing blue blood on the stone floors.

Maria lowered one hand to its shoulder. It stopped its thrashing. Another sputter from its mouth splattered blood over its face and the floor. The nymph grimaced, a short, empathetic whine escaping her. A flash of the unicorn's teeth caught Maria's eyes. They were serpentine, crooked, growing into each other. Whatever was wrong with this creature had gotten into its bones.

That was enough. She wouldn't let its cruel existence continue.

"Alucard. Your sword," Maria ordered. "Unless…the rest of you can help it."

No creature but the dhampir nodded. He propped Richter against a stack of crates, then walked around the unicorn. It became rabid again, shaking at his very scent. He stepped back, then drew his blade. She waited for him to pass it to her, but the sword never came. A stoic, empty expression coated his true thoughts. She got onto her feet, staring at him with confusion. When he didn't back away, she understood what he was aiming to do. She relinquished the task, then closed her eyes.

It was better that Alucard did this. He was stronger than her, had more self-control. There wasn't more than a single cleave before the unicorn went still. Muscle tainted an unearthly blue sank down, its spine severed at the neck. There was a small amount of trembling, then the creature went still. The monsters in his company glared at him, confused, terrified. He did little more than clean his blade, then return it to its sheath.

A dark pain flickered behind his eyes. "Maria. If you would kindly—"

"Right." Her second sentence caught on something scabbed inside him. "Thank you for sparing me from that."

She finished cycling through the mirrors, Richter following her when she neared him. She tried to focus on what was in front of her, not the chattering behind them. No monster could keep their feelings to themselves, save for the quiet dhampir at her back. Fear. Surprise. Empathy. There were none she felt like striking out of fealty. She knew what it was to see Alucard like that—going from prince to devil in a blink of an eye.

Gold and white fabric passed her fingertips. She lingered over the image. The tent, finally. Both she and Richter prepared for a fight. No one was there to greet them. Both tipped their heads. The circus tent had been a cesspool for sentries. Where had they all gone?

"This has to be a trap," Richter snarled.

One of the harpies crowed in his ear. "If we are to escape, it is now! Move, humans!"

Brown and gold feathers burst through the mirror. Maria kept her hand to the looking glass as more creatures rushed forward. The merfolk, the sirens, the nymph and the werewolf—all dashed out, damned if any creatures were there to fight them or not. They escaped, the nagini twins the last to part from their group. They threw one last curious look to Alucard, then slithered into the bleak night.

Richter passed next. Perhaps not gentlemanly of him, but Maria had to hold the door open with Alucard's charm from the exiting side. He circled about the mirror, then came back to Alucard and Maria's view. "It's safe. Come out!"

Alucard gave Maria a concerned glance. She shook her head, then nodded towards the mirror's surface. "Go on. I'll be right behind you."

The dhampir passed through the portal. He winced as his skin came into contact with its surface. The polish came from silvering, no doubt. That element on his exposed skin wasn't as fatal to him as it was others with vampiric blood, but it was still an irritant, like rolling in a thistle field. He brushed his hair from his face. A cold wind struck him, and he was alert, refreshed.

Sharp enough to hear a creak from the other side of the mirror.

"Maria!" Alucard snapped about.

She spun on the other side of the glass. There were shadows on the stairs, coming from the other mirrors. Gold armor. Eerie smiles. Sharp knives. One pelted a blade at her as Richter caught onto the chaos. He reached for his watch, thumb milliseconds too slow. He caught the full brunt of the attack as time stopped. The knife missed her, but not the mirror. A wave like white lightning crackled across its surface. The image shattered into thousands of pieces beneath Alucard's outstretched fingers, bared teeth, livid eyes burning even in frozen time.

All that was left to the two men was a black, hopeless void as the stopwatch's timer ran out.

/***/

Maria rolled off the ground, brushing tiny bits of mirror off her trailing sash. They had been so eager to escape, so soon to see their adventure over. So foolish! She clenched her fingers, then jolted again. Alucard's relic! Where had it gone? She snapped back to the destroyed mirror, finding it lying amongst the rubble.

She snatched it up as another series of knives rained down. The broken mirror itself was her fastest defense. She shoved it down, backing off as a dozen knives sank into its frame. Of course there were no golems outside. They were all in here, tracking them!

Such misfortune could only be turned about by the forces of the divine.

Maria tucked the charm into her tunic, then folded her hands. With sharp speed, she chanted a silent prayer. Power surged into her body. She stood, spirits channeling their will through her. Another volley of knives came for her. She didn't bother moving. They bounced harmlessly off the magic forces surrounding her body.

Forty seconds. That was how long the celestial beasts had given her power and invincibility. With any luck, that was all she would need.

The young lady screamed, then tore at the golem squad. Power billowed around her right fist. With a crack and a smash, one golem's mask tore off, its face disappearing in a puddle of black gelatin. She struck again, leaping over one sentry and crashing onto another. She was all legs and fists, tearing and roaring through metal. The forces of nature backed her up, helping her drill further into their ranks. Owls materialized out of the aether, swooping after her fists. She was raw, tearing, screeching like her pets.

She was halfway to the nearest mirror, five golems oozing and lifeless in her wake. More were scrambling down the stairwell and through the multitude of mirrors, living eyes confused behind dead masks. She reached out, raking, rending. Tiger claws followed her strikes, a white beast of immense grace and strength echoing her movements. She was burning, crackling, seething. Everything in her slim body trembled as she ripped through the disturbing sentries.

One more went. One less to harm Richter. Another fell. Another that wouldn't touch Alucard. There was nothing she could do to ease their concerns, nor was there anything they could do to save her now. She fought for them, for herself, for one more chance to dance in the moonlight and leap into the summer sky. They were all so close, so near to her heart that it was bursting with adrenaline.

At the same time, they never felt so far away from her.

Green and yellow magic faded. She staggered, then pulled herself upright. How many were down now? Eight? Nine? Only half of the group at most. She heard armor clinking through dark halls, edging towards her. Saliva ran down the corner of her exhausted mouth. She wiped it clean, then readied herself.

All she needed was a minute. Just enough time to build her magic powers again or break through another mirror.

She was prepared to run when she caught sight of a scowling face in the nearest mirror. Gleaning armor reflected snarled teeth in poor lighting. The illusion jumped from one body to another, then one more again. The foreman's armor bulged, then exploded. A hand reached out from the shimmer, grasping for her.

Maria darted backwards. She slipped, crashing into the murky remains of the fallen golems. Blood as black as ink sunk into her wounds. Grimacing, she pushed herself out of the gore. They kept forcing her back, through the pile of dead bodies, towards the shattered looking glass. No matter what was coming for her, she had to stop it. She slammed one cage down, then threw another to the ground. She grabbed two knives from the destroyed mirror. Hoping for the luck of a sniper, she whipped them into the horde.

Ripples cascaded in the metal and mirrors around her. She snarled, then grabbed two more knives. She buried them into oncoming sentries. Shining hands and fat, cackling mouths shattered under fierce throws. She used each blade she could wrench free. If she had to, she would yank the horn from the unicorn's dead body and use that to fight. She couldn't stop now! Not after what miracles she had worked!

Richter's smile and Alucard's frown were waiting for her.

She raised one last knife when cold horror seized her. An ugly gasp croaked its way from her throat. A face too similar to her own was echoed in the knife's reflection. Not her own visage—her own blood, corrupted. How often she had dreamt of such a nightmare, of Dracula's power turned against the ones she loved.

"Annette," Maria wheezed.

This mirage wasn't the sister that had coddled her. Not the women in spilling layers of white wedded to Richter Belmont. This was a demon, a temptress, everything that lurked in the lusting hearts of wicked men. All wings and legs, breasts and hair, dark eyes seeking silken pleasures and the blood of those who would have her. Now she called for Maria, singing in a language only known to those burning from infectious passion.

This illusion couldn't harm her. It was nothing more than twisted light. The hands reaching for her could.

One sentry caught her at the throat. She kicked, spat, choked for help. Owls torn from the void petered out in balls of ash. Her feet bought less traction at each thrash. The last knife slipped from her hand, clattered on the stone floors. She gasped, spots filling her vision. The shadows were building around her—through the mirrors, the halls upstairs, swelling around a figure on the stairwell watching her face turn blue. She gagged to it for mercy. It didn't move.

All she heard as she lost consciousness were squeals from the cackling lies around her.

/***/

If Richter's fists could shatter reality, he would have cracked back into the mirror's realm with a single punch.

The vampire hunter had been beating his knuckles against the mirror's frame for the past three minutes, snarling like a frenzied dog. Watching such rage boil, Alucard had no idea how to approach Richter. This torture was madness. They needed to find a way to reach Maria, not to harm themselves further.

Alucard caught Richter's right wrist as he raised it once more. "Richter, stop."

All that earned him was a punch in the gut.

To give the Belmont some credit, guilt flooded his face before Alucard hit the ground. The dhampir didn't know what else he could have expected from the vampire hunter. He was bred to solve problems by whipping the nearest vampire in the face until it stopped moving. He was just lucky not to have faced the barbs on the end of the Belmont's holy whip again. He still had nightmares over the beatings Richter's ancestors gave him.

Richter extended an arm, then pulled the stricken dhampir upright. "I'm sorry."

"It is a wound that will heal," Alucard forgave him. "Please, calm yourself. We cannot help Maria like this."

Brushing dirt off of Alucard's cloak, Richter sighed. "If you've got a trick up your sleeve, now would be the time to do it."

"A wise man would have more than one key to his home, lest he was locked out of it. We must look for some other device that could cross this glass," Alucard demanded.

Richter shrugged. "If you've got any tips on where to start looking, I'd like to hear them."

Alucard did not. Not that he necessarily had to. He placed his left hand over his right wrist, then fiddled with his relics. At the press of one button, a creature burst out of white magic and into existence. Richter drew back in surprise. He was used to Alucard having strange spells, but not for him to produce faerie women out of the air.

"You called, my master?" the faerie chirped.

"We seek passage into the place that used to be connected via this looking glass. Maria was trapped on the other side," Alucard explained. "If you know of any spells or can detect any passages, it would be of great aid to me to know such information."

The faerie twisted one leg behind her other ankle. She blushed, then blipped out of sight. Richter scrunched his eyebrows together. Where did the odd familiar go? And why did it look like a diminutive Maria? Richter scrubbed his scalp. That couldn't be intentional, could it? Blonde, waifish fairies were probably a dime a dozen. Still, the doubt of its coincidental features crossed his mind.

As soon as she was gone, the faerie popped back. "My master, I am sorry. There is a spell book in a nearby carriage, but the components needed to use its magic are not in the vicinity. I don't sense any magical items that could help you, either. However…"

"Go on," Alucard urged. "Please."

"The man that built this mirror…do you know where he is?" the faerie asked.

Alucard shook his head. "If you cannot sense him, then neither can I."

"He will come back for his possessions, Master. A dragon never leaves its gold unguarded." The faerie fluttered down, then settled on his shoulder. She stroked his hair, whispering softly. "Sit. Rest. He will return, and when he does, you will catch him and make him take you to her."

Richter frowned. "Are we to leave Maria's fate to chance, then? Unable to aid her?"

"If I can do nothing more for her…" Alucard descended slowly, keeping the creature on his shoulder balanced. He placed himself on the stomped earth, then folded himself beneath his cloak. His eyelids sank over irises dulled by exhaustion. "I will wait."

Madness. Passive weakness. This was no better than lying in open fields, hoping for sheep to return to their pens. Richter was ready to tear into Alucard. His hand stopped, his body sagging. He couldn't strike the dhampir again. Not for his loyalty to Maria. If this was the most productive act he could do for her, then he wouldn't take that away from him.

The vampire hunter sighed, then laid down. The filthy ground was hardly ideal to sleep on. There were few other options, save for raiding that abandoned girl's dirty room or Maestro Phillippe's personal cabin. His spine cracked, settling into a better alignment as he dozed. He kept his eyes fixed on the faerie, amused with her affections.

He thought he heard her singing, something soft and longing, words too tender to break the slumber of either man.

/***/

Author's Note

I've got a couple of flubs that I didn't know how to fix in this chapter, so I just rolled with it (fairy vs. faerie, for one). I also didn't know quite what to do with Maria's powers (as far as Sega Saturn vs. PSP port goes), so I went with what was the most dynamic to read. And wasn't it the half-faerie that sang, not the full one? Ugh. 2/10—Not accurate to canon.

Are we assuming Annette is alive? I guess I always assume that the best ending is canon in any given circumstance. She just…never comes up again. And then there's that whole bit where Richter was the last full-blood Belmont to wield the Vampire Killer in "Portrait of Ruin." Whatever the hell that means.

And then there's the Hamato Yoshi-styled tangle in the "Lord of Shadows" games…

Help me, librarian guy! Comb your beard and tell me how to read all of this information!

(PS—thanks for continuing to read!)


	6. Chapter 6

Finely-ground sands from the forgotten dunes of Zerzura. Silver shavings. Three mermaid's tears. The components needed to be mixed slowly, over a blue flame that had burned for a year long. It was swirling, smearing, smooth and dribbling like hot caramel. The ringleader brought the substance up, its surface shimmering in splattering bubbles. Not perfect. What was it missing?

Oh, yes. Something flaxen. Her hair would do.

Maestro Phillippe threw the substance back into his cauldron. He took a knife, then approached the girl lying motionless on a nearby table. With one slice, he cut a tendril from her. She groaned at his presence, but didn't sit up. He backed away from her. Dumping the hair into the pot, he folded it in, then spun the glassy substance again. This time it was perfect, its reflections luminous.

"Where—" the girl on the workbench gasped.

The ringleader turned around. His red coattails dragged behind him. "Young lady. You've recovered so soon."

Her confusion was quick to turn to anger. "You!"

The blonde girl leapt off the table. She slammed the showman to the ground. It was lucky that he was a few paces away from his pot, or the angry woman would have knocked the whole thing on their heads. She was a dexterous creature, but she was still worn out from her previous fight with his guards. He rolled her over, then shoved her down. He reached for his cane, then braced it against her neck.

"Calm down!" Maestro Phillippe ordered. "It's not in my disposition to harm a girl. I will fight to protect myself, but it's not my wish to hurt you."

She hissed, her trachea compressed. "And your sentries? Those golems?"

She had a point about them. The ringleader stepped off the lady, letting her catch her breath. She coughed, curling onto her side as she braced herself. Her brawl had done nothing to soothe her agitated wounds. He dusted himself clean. This was unbecoming of both of them. They were humans. That was reason enough to treat each other with some decency.

"I apologize for what they have done to you," Maestro Phillippe conceded. "They are instructed to attack all invaders to my circus. I should not have let them take such lethal measures on a young lady like you."

"What of Alucard?" the girl growled.

Alucard? Maestro Phillippe tipped his head. The name held no meaning for him. He studied her face, watching her reaction. The only other time he had seen her that upset was—oh. "The vampire."

"Dhampir," she corrected him. "Half-vampire."

"Really? Well, that certainly explains a lot." The ringleader rubbed his chin as he murmured. "Seemed quite a bit better around lights than I expected. How did he come to be as he is? I would think such a union between a vampire and a human would be—"

The girl huffed. "That's none of your business."

"It's absolutely my business! Flat out! Sharing creatures with the world is the literal, absolute definition of what I do for a living!" Maestro Phillippe rumbled.

He had her there. The young lady crossed her arms, then shook her head. "Even if I told you, you would think I'm lying. So, there's no point to it." She snapped her head back to him, eyes burning. "If you think yourself gracious, the least you could do is extend kindness to people like him."

Interesting choice of words. Maestro Phillippe sighed. So many ladies fancied themselves lovers of creatures like this half-vampire. The dark, brooding monsters of the night. Society had hardly embraced printing presses, and already, there were so many cheap newspaper stories and novels about women being wooed by such bizarre, fantastic creatures. Of beauty taming beasts, as it were. A mysterious plague, if he ever saw one.

"May I know your name, miss?" the ringleader asked.

"Maria," the young lady responded.

"Very pretty. Reminds me of this soprano I once knew." Maestro Phillippe beamed, his tale wandering. "Preformed in operas all over Italy, she did. Until one day, when a dashing pirate scooped her up and took her to the high seas. Wasn't a year later that she had overthrown him and was commanding his crew. Not that he minded too terribly, being wed to her and all."

Maria batted her eyes, her voice flat. "Charming." She pulled herself from the ground, then looked over her wounds. Rolls of cotton were wrapped around her exposed thighs and her left arm. "You've bandaged me?"

"The last thing I need in my company is a dead girl," the ringleader grumbled.

"I will thank you for that, then." Maria gave a tiny bow of her head. "Now, if you don't mind, I will take my leave."

Maestro Phillippe shook his head. "Not yet, my lady. You have to make amends for your intrusion. I cannot allow you to leave before you repay me."

His words didn't shock her. For being in a damsel's position, she spoke with as much anger and authority as a queen regnant. "And that would be?"

"To recapture the vam—dhampir, of course," Maestro Phillippe smirked.

"No. Never." Maria's teeth flashed, just as violent and brilliant as that of her companion's. "Don't you understand? He's my friend. He's walked through hell with me. Saved my brother-in-law—a vampire slayer! He's…he's quiet, and rarely gets angry, and he's so content just to watch and study what's going on around him. I wish he'd share his thoughts with me, but I know that he…and he knows I…"

The rest of her words disappeared with the last of her breath. She balled her fists, then turned away. She held a crumbling shield over her heart. The ringleader knew how to interpret the silence in the air. It was commendable that she was trying to hide such soft affections for her monstrous friend, but they were exposed all the same. A blasphemous love, perhaps. But, it was something palpable. Tender. Real.

"Do you think I do not know what love is, Maria?" the ringleader asked. "That damning passion you can't extinguish? I wouldn't send lions through such a fire."

Maria brushed her hair back. "What do you know about that? You surround yourself with creatures that you think nothing of and these vile, lifeless servants."

"When I have a crowd—when I am adored—there is love that I can share. But here, in the middle of the night…" Maestro Phillippe nodded to himself. "Come. I wish to show you something dear to me."

"I'm not in the mood for any more tours," Maria grumbled. She reached for her pocket, her words ominous. "I'll see myself out."

The ringleader took her hand. It felt so slender, fragile against his thick fingers. "Humor me."

A pitiful groan escaped her. She complied. A small smile built under his thick moustache. Feisty, but reasonable. Or perhaps her compliance came from some unfulfilled curiosity. Either way, he was just happy that she wasn't trying to drive him into the ground again. He was not a fit man, and he certainly wasn't used to fighting.

He led her to a polished looking glass. Its surface was black, swirling with thick vapors. With one tap of his cane, it became a new hallway. The ringleader bowed, letting the young lady step through first. He pushed her through rows of dusty mirrors. Images hung distorted in their reflection, contracted and expanded, upside down.

"Where are we?" Maria asked.

"My personal quarters, of course." He smirked, then pulled another mirror's passageway open. "There is an ancient art at work here. Magic of illusions and dimensions. Here we are, walking in what should be void, all made possible by a little talent and dedication."

"I've seen castles rise out of nothing before," Maria shook her head. "Such tasks require dark magic. Sacrifices."

Maestro Phillippe smiled. "Indeed. Some people are willing to pay anything to get their desires fulfilled."

A courtyard unfurled before them. Splashing water from the garden's central fountain rained down in a cold spray. Red and pink roses slithered across the ground, stems trailing prickles and leaves as they moved. One rushed over Maria's left foot. She gave a little jump, but calmed down quickly. The ringleader laughed, then led her onward, beneath massive stone arches.

"What do you think of my craftsmanship?" Maestro Phillippe asked.

"Odd, but…" Maria hopped over another rose. Something soft landed in her hair. She turned up, finding dozens of fuzzy-bodied moths flying above her. They flew on large wings, cornflower blue save for one crescent moon marked on each wing. "Charming."

The ringleader smiled to himself. "She loved it, of course. She always liked such fanciful things."

Maria stopped cold. "She."

Maestro Phillippe hadn't expected her to freeze like that. He circled back to the girl. There was a nervousness to her stance, prickling in her skin. She stared at the ground, as if she was waiting for mushrooms to pop out of it. What had that curious wench seen?

"That little girl's carriage," Maria finally shared her thoughts. "That 'she'?"

Of course. That dusty old place, devoid of life. Maria had been a thorough little snoop. The ringleader had to give her that. "So, you saw Veronica's things." He smiled, then ushered Maria forward. "Would you like to meet her?"

Maria's face blanched. "What? She's not—"

"No!" Maestro Phillippe clapped the lady on her back. "Come. Let's pay her a visit."

The ringleader passed through the stone arches across the courtyard. Maria followed him, uncertain, but having no clear place to run. He took her up one flight of stairs, then another, spiraling up a tower. The brickwork was smooth, wet, worn down. They ascended a preposterous way into the sky, where a scarlet-tipped sun fell to a moon's glow. The ground was so far away that it might as well not even existed anymore.

A wooden door was pressed shut. There was no sound coming from inside. A cold draft seeped through gaps in its planks. Maestro Phillippe nudged the door. It creaked as it opened, a white wind spilling across their ankles. The ringleader stepped inside, then waved for Maria to follow. Slowly, the lady's curiosity overcame her dread.

The room itself was decorated in dark blue wallpaper. Foil stars patterned in the paper shimmered in the low light. White furniture surrounded the room—desks, dressers, library shelves, a locked chest. Dolls and books sat everywhere. One watched her with shining eyes. It reminded her of the doll in the carriage, the one with Alucard's hair. She shook her head, then locked sight on a massive canopy bed, purple fabric draped all over it.

Maestro Phillippe beckoned to Maria. "Come now. Don't be rude."

A tiny figure was lying in the bed. Maria's eyes widened. It was in the rough shape and size of a small girl, but hardly contained a spark of life. Its face was white, fixed in a permanent neutral expression. It had round, blush-painted cheeks, very well defined lips and nostrils. No eyes—just the shape of eyelids. Her whole body was plated with pale ceramics, gold sealing its joints. It even had spiraling copper wire for hair and a pleated gown.

It could not possibly be human, never the less his daughter.

"What cruel joke is this?" Maria asked. "That's not—That can't be."

The ringleader frowned. "Do you not believe me?"

"How could I? It looks like a tiny golem!" Maria exclaimed.

"I see." Maestro Phillippe rubbed the side of his face. "It's for her protection, you understand. As well as mine."

Maria shook, shivering. "How could I? It's…it's not…"

"You have no faith. Every good magician knows that no spell can work without someone believing in its power." Maestro Phillippe sat on the bed's edge, his breath heavy. "Then, I shall make a believer out of you."

He pressed one digit on the doll golem's nose. As it stirred, he moved away. Maria backed off as well, not certain what to expect. Slow, fragile hands reached for its face. There was a tiny mewl behind its mask. It stroked its own nose, longing for the touch that had been there.

"Veronica? I have a guest." The ringleader's voice became calm, low. "Could you let her see you?"

His daughter complied.

Fissures of air split the plates from the armor's joints. The girl lay still again, letting the plates roll back. Maria nearly vomited a howl. A labored chest shook as a tiny girl within the metal body struggled for air. She gagged on her own tongue, or what was left of it. Her right arm ended just below her shoulder, the rest sloughed away. Eyes twitched, unfocused, unable to truly see. Her true nose had sunken in, her lips rotted away, teeth exposed to the open air. No natural disease could have done this to this poor girl. She was falling apart, ligaments rotting away. All that held her together was the shell around her living corpse.

All fluids, all wounds—black. All bones, those erratic eyes—white.

"Please," was all Maria was able to wheeze out.

"Alright, sweetheart. You can get dressed," the ringleader whispered into the holes that were once his daughter's ears.

There was a clatter at the door. Maria was a quarter of the way down the stairwell before Maestro Phillippe knew what she was doing. The man threw himself down the stairs, little legs propelled by his heavy weight. He caught the flighty woman back in the courtyard. She was nearly to the next hallway, hands on her chest.

With one crack of his cane, Maestro Phillippe reached out to the fountain. Its contents burst forth, splattering throughout the courtyard. Walls froze mid-splash. Maria ground to a halt, her path blocked. She turned around, hands balled up in front of her sternum. Fire was in her eyes. It didn't stay there for long.

Heat sizzled through the air as a molten bird exploded from the void. The ringleader had very little time to defend himself. As the creature dove onto him, he whipped another layer of water over his body. It crystallized into a frozen shield. Fire and ice met in a steaming rush of magic. They negated each other's existence, disappearing in a cloud of steam.

Where Maria's magic didn't connect, her feet did.

The summoner knocked the showman onto his back. She drew one hand up, another around his neck. Her punch stopped just before his nose as he pleaded, "Stop!"

"Why should I, you vile fiend?" Maria spat back. "She's your daughter! How could you—"

She gasped as Maestro Phillippe threw her to the ground. He put his cane across her throat once more, silencing her foul accusations. "How dare you accuse me of such a monstrous act! She is my daughter, malady or not! I will do anything to protect her. To save her."

"How is letting her lay there and suffer saving her?" Maria huffed.

The ringleader shook his head. "My dear lady, you must listen. I have done all that I could to heal her these past three years. I've traveled to every far corner of the known world, gathered every scrap, studied every art and science to try and cure her. And do you know what I've earned for my trouble?"

Maria stopped her thrashing. "Three years? She's been like that for that long? How—how could anyone's mind—"

"I have found the solution. A true cure!" Maestro Phillippe's eyes brightened. "My god, in the past year alone, she's regrown her left leg! And all it took was the right combination!"

"Of what?" Maria wasn't sure she wanted the answer to this question.

"Blood of immortal beasts," the ringleader spoke. "The blood of one foul creature purified by another's system. The combination of eternal beauty and miraculous health."

Maria choked. Alucard's thin face. That strange, twisted unicorn that had assaulted them. The rage it had for him. The quiet dignity he gave to it through death. "Why didn't he tell me?"

"The same reason a beast hides anything, Maria." Maestro Phillippe's voice darkened. "Shame."

He pulled himself off her once more. She scrambled to her rear, but didn't flee. Confusion held her captive. She put a hand to her left thigh, then winced. Her wounds burned as hot as her magic. She stood up, buckling. Such violent fights weren't suited for such a light body.

Maestro Phillippe's eyelids lowered. "I have my own shame too, Maria. I have hidden something from you." He nodded towards her legs. "Undo your bandages."

Horror flashed like lightning through her irises. Trembling hands lowered from her chest. Maria reached for her wounds, then peeled back the cloth protecting them. What should have bled red was black as tar. She unclenched her hands, dropping the cloth. Hatred was quick to follow fear. She stood ridged, hands extended to throw another spell at the ringleader.

Before she could spit in her magic tongue, Maestro Phillippe made his own call. Water from the fountain and icy walls bound Maria. She gasped, jerking in its grasp. He pulled her off the ground, letting her toes just barely make contact with the false earth. Her thrashing stilled as he raised one hand to speak.

"You poor girl. You were so brave to fight my diseased men. Pity their blood mixed with yours," Maestro Phillippe chided Maria. "However, there is nothing to fear. Your infection is new. Curing you should take but a single treatment. All we need is your dhampir, and—"

"No!" Maria shrieked at him. "I won't let you have him!"

Maestro Phillippe's voice thundered. "You fool! Would you die to protect a monster?" He paced around her, his demands roaring like a lion's orders in her ears. "Help me lure him back, Maria. Help me save my daughter."

Her words were firm. "I refuse!"

The ringleader smirked. "Very well. If that's the way you feel."

He hardly needed her conscious for her to be bait.

With a squeeze of his hand, the fountain's water wrapped around Maria. She gave a panicked kick, but it did her no good. No mystic animals came to her warbled cries. It was unpleasant to watch a face so fair grow pale and weak, but Maestro Phillippe had no choice. She wouldn't listen to reason. If she loved that dhampir so much, she could drown like he had.

When she went still, Maestro Phillippe released the spell. Maria's body landed with a wet splash on the courtyard ground. He took her soaked, undone bandage, then wrapped it around her leg. The poor lady's wounds would have to be dressed once more. Even as violent and angry as she was, she was still a human girl.

A conjured, icy hand lifted the woman off the ground. A sparkle from beneath her caught his eye. What manner of trinket was that? Maestro Phillippe sighed, then grabbed the item. Just a simple turquoise. Peculiar that she clung to it, but perhaps it was a gift from her dear friend. If nothing else, it could fetch a good price on a black market. Perhaps some lesser demon would want it for a small task. Maybe he could even engrave it into Veronica's mask. She would enjoy having something so beautiful to feel.

Now, what to do with this girl? There had to be some place to keep her around here without her using magic to blast down the cell doors. Something with a reflective coating, perhaps. It had to be flashy, too. Something to lure her friends back. He'd need another unicorn, once that dhampir was pinned down. Would that small one in the forest pens do? Perhaps that would buy him some time to hunt again.

Did he leaving his cauldron bubbling? He grimaced. If that damn mirror solution had boiled over, he was going to have to dump it out. Or onto someone. Either way.


	7. Chapter 7

A red sliver of light struck Richter's eyes.

He opened them, watching crimson energy rise from above the earth. It spilled warm and gentle into the tent, illuminating the edges of his boots. The solar tide washed over the dhampir seated next to him. How strange it was to see a creature of the night like Alucard tolerate the sun so well. Not even bat an eyelid. Most would burst into flames at the mere graze of it.

Richter rolled up, taking a seat, letting the sunlight soak through his skin. There was still no beckoning shimmer coming from the mirror. Just his reflection. Alucard might as well not have even existed, as far as the looking glass saw him. Was it easy to live without such a reflection? He couldn't imagine so. It would be like having no shadow or no sense of taste. Perhaps some benefits could come of it, but it still meant missing an everyday experience.

"Are you awake?" Richter asked.

Alucard didn't answer.

Richter shook his head. Either the dhampir was in a foul mood, or he was completely out of it. Not that the vampire hunter blamed him. He looked as if he needed to take a month and sleep off his ills in a coffin. In the sunlight, his skin looked as soft and malleable as candle wax. A faint trail of dark stains on his neck disappeared beneath his shirt and cravat. Richter hadn't been close enough to the dhampir to see that before. What was that? Dried blood?

Not that Richter was a man keen on ripping open the shirts of others, but the temptation to investigate was hard to throw off.

He took a few moments to attend to basic human needs, then circled back to the dhampir. His little faerie friend was on the move again. For such a tiny creature, she seemed to have a full-grown woman's anger. Nothing but dark glares from that one. Clearly, he was not to be leaving her master undefended. Not that Alucard couldn't put up a good fight, but a sleeper was still vulnerable, no matter the species.

Slipping his hand into his pocket, Richter pulled out his stopwatch. The handy little thing even served for mundane purposes. "Let's see…seven sixteen? So, we've been here since—"

The rest of his sentence jittered on his teeth. There was an electrical surge coming from behind him. Snapping pieces of glass fused together behind the mirror's image. There was a gurgling churn, then a flash of light. As violently as the last room in the menagerie had disappeared, it crackled back. Richter shuddered in shock. There were corpses and glass strewn about its interior. Plates of armor sank together in a fetid pile. Magic leaked from the dead unicorn's body, its corpse still trying to do good even after its death, swollen from the disease that pooled around it.

There was no sign of Maria.

"Maria?" Richter snarled, panic settling in. "She's gone!"

Dirt crunched beside him. Alucard unfolded himself, then stood. "Do not fret. We shall find her."

Both men readied their weapons. Richter was less confident than his companion. "Since we were finally invited inside…What do you suppose has become of her?"

"I dare not let nightmares take hold in my mind." Such words were uncharacteristic of Alucard, fearful. Perhaps his admonition earlier had not been only for Richter. "I shall put faith in her stubborn perseverance. Perhaps it will aid you to have the same thoughts."

Stubborn? If ever there was a word for that woman… "Fair enough." He nodded towards Alucard's familiar, then gave a smile. "Good morning, charming lady. May I ask you to scout ahead and find Maria?"

The faerie scrunched up her face. "Sorry. I can't proceed ahead without my master's consent. Terms of a familiar's pact."

"Ugh. This is why I never mastered the works of magic," Richter grimaced. "It seems too much like legal proceedings."

Alucard lowered his head to the impish creature. "You may grant his requests, if you find them reasonable. Richter's judgment is sound, in most circumstances."

"I suppose I never will live down that whole 'being enthralled by a necromancer' incident," Richter groaned.

Upon accepting her master's words, the faerie took off through the open portal. She seemed like little more than an insect skimming across a lake's surface. The busy little creature buzzed in every direction, then disappeared past a dark hallway. It was a solid five minutes before she returned. By then, the poor creature was frazzled. Her cheeks were red, spilling information as fast as she could speak.

"There's a clear path to Maria," the faerie chirped. "She doesn't look well, Master. You must follow me quickly!"

Without a second thought, Alucard leapt into the looking glass. Richter was quick to trot behind him. Both men scanned about the room, Alucard continuing his conversation with his familiar. His words was terse. "What ails her?"

"There's this huge room up there. Looks like a tower with no floors." The faerie's words were tripping over each other as she sped on. "She's being held there. But Master, I was confused. She looks so pale and stiff."

"Dead?" Alucard asked.

Richter turned to shout at Alucard for his insensitivity. The words died in his throat. The way Alucard lowered his sword, shifted his stance—the news frightened him. His clothes hung with a new heaviness, his hair flat. Even if his face remained as fixed as a marble statue, his body revealed his dreadful worry. If the worst had happened to Maria, then this tragedy would take Alucard to his grave once more, never to re-awaken in Richter's lifetime.

The faerie shook her head, catching the terror in Alucard's mind. "There were so many heartbeats. Fast ones—birds. Her prison looks like an aviary. You won't miss it, Master."

"Lead us on as swiftly as possible," Alucard demanded.

Nodding, the faerie jetted off. Neither Richter nor Alucard were to be left behind by her. They stepped around the corpses, running up the stairwell and into the dark hallway. Brass candlesticks lined the walls. Richter held his watch to them as they ran, letting his weapon soak up the heat from the candles. That hot energy would provide it with a little more magic power.

They continued until the hall became winding and narrow, black as pitch. At its end sat another mirror. Its surface rippled with pastel pinks and yellows. They passed through it, only to lose their footing. The new room was completely disorienting for them both, but not for the same reasons. Every surface was coated in a reflective sheen. Walls, floors, ceilings—everything. For someone like Alucard, it meant wincing as every flicker of light became as intense as lasers. For Richter, it meant seeing every part of him reflected everywhere, having little understanding on where he even was.

Then, the strange images piled on.

As they walked ahead, others followed in their footsteps. Richter jolted when he first took notice of it. Alongside him marched corpses in every dress, nearly eight hundred years of ancestry mimicking his moves. It was easy to blow off the ghouls. They weren't actively trying to harm them. The real bastard was the one following Alucard, nails raking through mirror walls, cackles taunting them both.

Richter hissed. "What fresh nonsense is this?"

"The same magic used to trap me," Alucard explained. "Hurry."

If anyone with Alucard's dignified, controlled gait said to run, then Richter ran. They leapt over fangs, hot breath, wet tongues. Eyes bloodshot and yellowed followed them. The mirage was hardly the true form and spirit of Dracula, but the way it felt—the way it got into their bones—was more than enough. They kept pressing on, looking every which way for the next exit.

It was only when the faerie grabbed her master by his hair and yanked him in the right direction that they regained their balance.

The trio spilled into a new passage. Black, tiny, filled waist-deep with cold water. It was rushing from the walls, never completely flooding the room, but never backing down. Richter shivered, then fought his way forward. These illusions were fantastic, in a creepy way. He waited for Alucard at the edge of the flooded corridor, hand extended. It was all they could do to wrench themselves free from the torrential current.

"How much of this is real?" Richter gasped.

"Illusionary magic uses impossible space, lighting, and deceptive sensory tricks to create stunning arts," the faerie explained. "In advanced cases, inorganic material can be replicated indefinitely to make spaces that can—"

"You don't know how much is real. Got it," Richter cut her off.

"At the very least, the silver used for these mirrors seems to be genuine," Alucard murmured. He pushed tendrils away from his face, water dribbling in thick droplets down his nose. "There's likely not as much water in that passageway as we thought, but—"

Richter nodded. "Right. I suppose the monsters and guards have to be genuine articles as well. Otherwise, any apprentice could make their own monster show."

"Even a basic illusion would fool or entertain most," Alucard sighed. "A lifetime trapped in such lies is cruelty."

They sloshed forward, their clothes sticking to their limbs. Alucard's familiar picked at Richter's coat and hair. With a light tap, she sent a warm wind through him. Water clinging to his clothes rolled away. The hunter shuddered in surprise. A boring spell, but practical. Felt pretty good, too.

Richter teased his companion as the faerie cared for him. "Should have called her for when Maria fell in that aquarium earlier. Poor girl."

"You are right. I was inconsiderate," Alucard agreed.

"Between that, and completely ignoring her while you were rescuing all of those monsters, I'll be surprised if she ever talks to you again," Richter snickered.

Clacking boots froze. "Are those offenses truly that grave?"

Richter stared at him. Was he being dense, or did he honestly think humans worked like that? "For God's sake, man! I am pulling your leg!" He slapped his palm against his forehead. "Besides—I find that most women are very forgiving of you after saving their lives."

"You would know better than I." Alucard shook his head, hair following his movements.

Richter gave a low whistle. "That I would have to teach you how to court a woman and take a joke. Steep tasks."

"Court?" Alucard turned to him, eyebrows furrowed. "You presume too much."

Such protests only made Richter laugh. "Only seconds ago, you conceded to my superior knowledge on romance and women. And now you think I jest?" He poked Alucard in the chest. "Say what you like about the condition of your heart, but I know where it lies—both as a vampire hunter and a fellow man."

When Alucard gave no retort, Richter knew he had earned another victory for the Belmont clan over Dracula's brood.

One more looking glass pulled them forward. After rooms of so much garbage and confusion, there was finally form here. Endless skies outside, but inside this hallway were reddish brown bricks, flowers in arched windows, warmth and sunlight. Chirping echoed through the passageway. It wasn't coming from outside. The singing and squawking from birds put Richter on edge. Alongside their songs were creaks, groans.

"Stay behind me," Richter ordered.

Most vampires and nobles would have seethed at such demands. Alucard did neither. Richter's wits were to be trusted. There was a certain wariness required for such a delicate act like sneaking into a prison. A sharp eye, a quick hand. Both flattened themselves along the walls, then pressed forward, cries growing louder around them.

Alucard spoke softly to his familiar. "Is this where you found Maria?"

"Yes, Master," the faerie replied. "But…"

"Yes?" Alucard asked.

"Please, be careful." The faerie's skin flushed a pale shade of pink. "This realm is deceptive. I don't want you being caught in it again."

Alucard gave her a small nod. "Wait here for my return. You shall have to lead us out once more. Until then, I will be under Richter's care. He is more than capable."

"I will pray for him, too," the faerie agreed.

Richter smirked, beaming from their words. Damned if they weren't touching some tender spot in the hunter's ego today. They continued their approach to the screeching room, the sounds of fluttering scattering Richter's thoughts. A heavy door was ajar ahead of them. From that came the scents and sounds of some unearthly, stinking racket. Both men leaned over to peek.

There were paths crossing the hollow tower's center. They ran back and forth on each floor, passing new cages as they went. Richter studied the room, watching for any suspicious activities. There were silver cages of every shape and size hanging from chain links that stretched upwards for hundreds of feet. Each bird cage fit its occupant, more lavish than the last, all decorated with plumage patterns and swirls.

In front of them, where four paths converged, was the largest cage of them all.

Its base's diameter couldn't have been much more than five feet in length. The whole of it was suspended by chains that seemed impossibly frail. Working down from its secured top were thin, shining beams of silver. Its base was decorated with cardinals, opalescent pearls, winding spirals. Its interior had room for one small platform at its top, a heap of green and gold embroidered bedding and pillows at its base. Lying draped across velvet and cotton was the fainted body of a lovely young woman, her hair spilling over the bedding and onto the cage's floor.

They pulled back in unison, convinced the other was going to walk into a trap. Richter's emotions were bare in his face—anger, frustration, lips pulled back into a snarl. Alucard's were guarded, but present, trembling around him in a fragile aura. Both were worried for Maria's safety—and both knew the danger at hand.

"Could you escape from these cages, or will your magic be disrupted?" Richter asked.

"I may be able to fit through, if I took a small enough form," Alucard raised his head. "What are you planning?"

"If this a trap, I need to know that you can get out of it," Richter explained. He reached into his pockets, fishing out his stopwatch. With a solid clap, he placed it into Alucard's right hand. "Let me draw our foe's attention, and you go swoop in and save her. If you get caught, you take to your little bat wings and fly out. You do remember how to use that, right? That should give you a little extra time to work."

Alucard nodded. "Of course. Thank you."

Richter laid his head against the wall, strands of brown hair catching on the brickwork. "We'll have to proceed swiftly. Lord knows how much time we'll have to run free."

"More troubles me. I thought my relic would have been enough for her to open the lock to her prison." Alucard grimaced, then tucked Richter's watch away. "If she has lost it, we may have great hurdles ahead of us, should the mirrors behind us close."

Richter gave Alucard a dark grin. "Don't back down. This is our only shot. We may still lose Maria, but if we do nothing, then we will surely fail."

That earned the vampire slayer the slimmest of smiles from the dhampir. He felt at least two of his ancestors roll over in their graves. As Alucard took off to find another entrance, Richter popped his shoulders back. He could be brash and brave. That was practically built into him. All he had to do was keep any unwanted attention on him while his companion worked on saving Maria. No doubt she'd be pitching in, as soon as she was conscious once more.

A unified squawking chord erupted from the caged birds as Richter kicked in the door. Not dignified, by any means, but it was flashy. He raised an eyebrow, looking for any golem sentries or that tricky Maestro Phillippe. So far, so good. He continued his strut, not looking up as a new shadow prowled overhead.

Richter called over crying peacocks and cranes. "Maria! Are you alright? I need you to answer me!"

The only voice to respond to him was a peahen's shrill cry.

Richter tipped his head. What a nosy little bird. Her head was peeked out of her cage. Of all the things for the ringleader to keep, a peahen seemed the least likely. They lack the garish plumage of their male counterparts. About the only thing an entertainer would use them for was to make more peacocks. He gave it a light pat, then continued forward, eyes fixed on Maria's limp body.

What was wrong with that girl? Dark memories followed his footsteps. It hadn't been that long ago that he had been younger, stronger. She'd been so feisty, so determined to fight, so frail. Such harmful magic had been used to hold her captive then, too. It hurt to see Maria so devoid of energy. In a part of his heart, she'd always be that spunky little girl. To see anyone raise a hand to her…it held that part of him in a vice's grip.

He made two more steps before there was a burst of smoke. Richer fanned it out of his eyes, then backpedaled. Classic smoke bomb entrance. A bit juvenile, for a talented illusionist and entertainer, but still effective. Behind the curling gray cloud stood a short, smirking man. Even his moustache spiraled upward as he grinned.

"You know, most people would say 'Hello' when they greet others," Richter coughed.

The ringleader grimaced. "Most people would knock before entering someone's home."

Richter opened his mouth to speak when his brain hitched. This wasn't Maestro Phillippe's doing. Richter was used to this familiar feeling, like he was stuttering through time. Alucard was making a move, using Richter's watch to pass undetected. Fair enough. He had a feeling that he wouldn't have to keep the ringleader entertained for very long.

"No doubt you know why I'm here," Richter growled. He dropped his hand to his whip, unfurling the Vampire Killer. "Either let her go, or I whip the stripes from your trousers."

Shaking his head, Maestro Phillippe laughed. "First, you invade my home for want of a monster. Then, a girl. This is hardly a pet shop, you know."

"That's right. Neither of them are pets," Richter agreed.

He gave a crack of his whip. Its tip landed close to the ringleader, striking precisely on one seam of his pants. A bit cruel against a middle-aged, unfit man, but Richter felt the need to drive his point home. In the motion, he felt another jolt. One more move from Alucard, then. Good.

"Talented, aren't you?" Maestro Phillippe asked, fussing with the new rip. "There's something of a lion tamer in you."

Richter gave a cocky smirk. "Runs in the family."

"I'll tell you what, my good sir." Readjusting his shirt and suspenders, the ringleader paced towards the agitated hunter. "It is unbecoming of me to hold your lady friend hostage. That much, I will agree on. I would gladly give her back to you, once you return what you stole. It doesn't even have to be the entire lot of creatures. Just the dhampir."

Time hitched again. Richter's smile held fast. "So, Maria told you."

There was one more pause. Maestro Phillippe continued his speaking, words not bothered by the hiccupping flow of time. "She spoke many kind words about him. I would think it would make any man burn with jealousy to hear such things said about a monster like that."

Richter crinkled his nose. That old buffoon was picking the wrong trick to try. "She's my kin. Got it? And I stand by whatever she says, no matter how ridiculous you think her feelings are."

"So, you won't help me catch him, then?" Maestro Phillippe grumbled.

"Any other vampire—" Click. "—and he'd be yours." Pause. Richter lifted his head. A shadow moved into Maria's cage. "Not him. Not—"

His words were lost in a squealing snap of metal.

Flat plates on Maria's cage snapped shut, like venetian blinds being crashed together. The cage's door squeezed inward with a shrill creak. A series of grinding gears locked into place. The cage dropped, its contents thrashed together. There was an ungainly thunk as something heavy hit the floor of the cage. It slammed into the walkway, then rolled limply back. Richter's heart struck with the same velocity into his ribs.

The only sound to escape the cage was desperate clanging.


	8. Chapter 8

"The hell?" was all Richter got out of his jaw.

Maestro Phillippe smirked. He walked towards the gigantic cage that housed Maria, then gave it a knock. He was answered by a snarl and a slam against the walls. It was a familiar sound of war, a sword striking against metal. Silver was softer than steel. Such a slash should have cut straight through. Yet, all Richter saw were bubbling dents. Strength and finesse faltered, the swordsman trapped within succumbing to the metal that repelled his vampiric powers.

"A simple, old-fashioned pressure plate," the ringleader explained. "As soon as something of significant mass was placed within the cage, it activated these slats and locked them into place. A handy little system, don't you think? I like to use it to catch harpies. With a little structural modification, it makes for a perfect vampire trap."

Richter's tongue betrayed his thoughts. "No!" He reached for a knife, then rushed the cage. "Alucard! Stand back!"

Thick fingers caught Richter's wrist. The vampire slayer snarled. He shoved the round little man into stone floors. The ringleader laughed, as if it were a part of a clown's act. Holding the knife away from his neck, he sneered at Richter's homicidal rage. "Go ahead! Slay me, and this world falls apart. Only my magic keeps it together. We'll all be lost to the void—you, me, that damned dhampir, and your precious little lady."

Richter drew back, keeping his blade raised. He called over his shoulder. "How is Maria?"

He could barely understand Alucard's voice through the sealed metal slats. "…a most impressive illusion. Nothing more than a doll, and yet, I sensed a heartbeat and heat from it."

New rage boiled in Richter's blood. "What? But that damned faerie said—"

"Your little scout wasn't wrong." Maestro Phillippe backed away from the distraught vampire hunter. "Let me fetch your friend."

The ringleader strolled his way to another medium sized cage. Richter's stomach sank, the trick clear before the magician could even perform it. Maestro Phillippe stopped before a snapping, keening peahen. With a single tap of his cane, green smoke erupted from the bird. Soft coughing came from the cloud. When it dissipated, there Maria was—trapped inside a cage so small that she had to keep on her knees.

"That's the key to magic, my good friends," Maestro Phillippe boomed. "You take the classics, and you put your own twist to them. Always keep the audience guessing."

Maria weaved her fingers through the cage. She grabbed onto Maestro Phillippe's jacket. "Stop this!"

"Fair enough, my lovely assistant," the ringleader smirked.

He pulled the cage to the corridor's path, then undid the lock. Crawling out, Maria landed with an ungainly plop on the ground. She pushed herself up, then snarled. One solid punch landed in the ringleader's gut. She was appalled, disgusted for being used as bait. She would have gone in for another strike, had Richter not grabbed her around the shoulders.

"Easy, tiger," Richter dragged her back. "You can knock his teeth out after we spring Alucard."

Maria nodded. She staggered, limping. The spirited fire that roared within her was smoking out, leaving something aching and woozy behind. She sank down, her legs burning. Richter readjusted his hold on her, then pulled her ahead. The last thing he needed was for her to faint for real. Even as strong as he was, carrying her around would be bothersome.

She took a twisted step, then groaned.

Richter's eyebrows furrowed. "Maria? What's wrong?"

"Richter, I'm…" An uncharacteristic gulp escaped her. "I'll show you."

Maria held a hand over one bandage, then pulled it back. He looked at her injuries, confused, terrified. She wanted to bless him for being able to stare into her wounds, that he didn't recoil from the ichor oozing from her. Fear did not take compassion from him. He held a hand near her thigh, inches away from covering her injury again. She grabbed him by the wrist, forcing it away from her legs.

"What the hell is that?" Richter asked.

"Your dear Maria had a most impressive battle with my guards." Maestro Phillippe dusted off his pants, then stood. "Pity the girl chose to fight them in such revealing clothing. It made getting an infection that much easier."

The ringleader's words only muddled Richter's mind further. "What?"

Maria's face flushed. She put a hand over her mouth, then jolted away from Richter. The last thing she ever wanted to do was infect the ones she loved. She shouldn't have even let him touch her. He looked at her with confused eyes, his brain now in full tilt.

"There's this girl—" Maria's explained. She stopped, then pointed at Maestro Phillippe. "His daughter. She's…she's got this terrible disease, Richter. All of the guards here have it too. They're…they're dying people, Richter. Rotting apart into sludge. And I—I'm going to—"

"Not yet," the ringleader cut her short.

Richter turned to Maestro Phillippe. He had regained his confidence, smoothed his clothes once more. How easy it was to get the man into his hands. All it took was a theft of his hope, then a tiny promise. He strolled past them, approaching the cage keeping Alucard contained. With one pat, he sneered. Its contents were as good as his.

"Maria's infection is new. Treatable." He rested his hand, trying to feel for weight within the cage's guts. "All of this can be undone with but a single dose of medicine. Just leave me your dhampir, and I will heal her. What say you to that, hmm? A life for a life?"

"There's a cure?" Richter was already on the hook, ready to be reeled in.

Maria's words were no longer warbling with fear. "Richter, no! It's—Alucard has to—"

"I'll do it."

The dhampir's determination caught Maria off guard. Her stomach clenched. She couldn't ask him to be part of such a vile process. Not again. Nor could she think of consuming the noxious panacea that would save her. She opened her mouth to protest, then shut her jaw again. This was the only way she had a chance at living. If it meant that he had to take a hit for her…

She screwed up her courage. So, this was the way it had to be. "If this is what he wants, then fine. I concede."

Richter snarled, then rolled his head. He glared at her, trying to figure out her game. Her face was frozen with stony determination. His heart jerked. That wasn't a face that suited her. It was a mask of stoic bravery, one she had taken from Alucard. One that hide turbulent thoughts.

Clapping a hand onto Maria's shoulder, Richter surrendered. "Please. Save her."

"Of course." Masetro Phillippe nodded. "If you would follow me."

/***/

Neither human companion wanted to see this.

Maria knew this room. It was the workshop that she had been in before. Placed along the tables were new surgical implements, chairs, two cages. Alucard's confines had been dragged in by sentries. The other was new, disturbing. Within its bars sat a young unicorn, no more than a year out of its first velvet shedding. Maria didn't dare look at the poor creature. No matter which way she saw the events about to unfold, she knew one thing—that unicorn was going to mutate and go mad from this perverse science.

And Alucard…

She curled over her injuries. No. She just needed to get through this once.

"What's he going to do?" Richter asked.

Maria's shoulders sank. "There's this…product of forbidden arts. It can cure anything, but…the process of creating it is unsanitary. He's going to take some of Alucard's blood and—"

"Oh, vile!" Richter grimaced. "Let me guess—do something completely disgusting to that unicorn?"

"And then I've…" Maria scrunched up her face. "I don't have to drink it, do I?"

A rumbling wave of laughter escaped Maestro Phillippe. "Sometimes, to keep living, we must take on indignities. However, using some of this substance as a salve for your wounds wouldn't be a terrible idea."

The ringleader reached for one of the tools on his workshop. It was a peculiar contraption. The front of it had a long needle jammed into it. One hollow channel was drilled through the needle. A glass tube the size of a mason jar sat behind that. All of this was mounted on top of a firing mechanism, something like a crossbow's base and trigger.

Maestro Phillippe gave a whistle. One golden guard came to his command. The ringleader nodded towards Alucard's cage. The drone got the hint. It spun a key into its hand, then pressed it against the cage's lock. Slats fell back as the door opened. It reached within, then yanked Alucard out. With one pull, it dragged Alucard next to the work bench, then dropped him.

The dhampir's expression remained void, any terror or anger curbed. How easy it would have been to split the ringleader into two segments with a single slash of his sword, even with a guard man-handling him. Not that such an act of violence would have done any of them good. He lowered his head, then sat down on the workbench, cloak crumpled beneath him.

"Go ahead," Maestro Phillippe ordered. "You know what to do."

Alucard nodded. "Now that I know why I do it."

The ringleader snarled at him. "What did you think this was for? My health? I am not so selfish."

The urge to say something sharp and nasty boiled in the dhampir's blood. He swallowed such bile. Maria needed him. He had no choice but to behave. He could spew venom later, if he had enough liquid left in his body for that.

Black gloves reached for white garments. With a single tug, Alucard undid his cravat. Maria's face flushed. She wasn't sure if her reaction was out of curiosity or dread. It was impossible to think of Alucard as having any form outside of his clothes. And yet, there one piece went, peeled away like molting skin. Fingers reached for pearled buttons, the clasp on his cape. One. Two. Three. All fell away, popped open.

Sinews emerged from cloth, a sharp collarbone peeking through the opened gap in Alucard's shirt. A gasp escaped Maria. It wasn't from exhilaration. She folded her fingers over her nose, unsure if she wanted to block out the sight. Black holes pierced the side of his neck, down his shoulders, into every available channel for drawing blood. Horrible thoughts flooded her mind. Were his arms like this? His legs? Did he have thirty holes in him, thirty nights of torture inflicted on him?

Alucard pulled his hair clear from the right side of his neck. "Be swift."

"As you say," Maestro Phillippe agreed.

The magician pressed down on the device's trigger. He jammed it into the side of Alucard's neck. Both Richter and Maria cringed. That was hardly the manner any decent doctor would have gone about doing such a task. He drew back on the device's handle, a hemorrhage flowing into its glass container. An empathetic pang made Maria shiver. Alucard's blood was dark, red, as human in appearance as her own. And his face—

No. She couldn't look at that. Whatever was there—pain, fear, slackening consciousness—that was not for her to see.

The container was nearly filled when Alucard began to sink. He locked his elbows, fighting whatever force was pulling him under. Fingers clutched to the workshop table. A few more seconds passed, and the sting in his neck was gone. He clapped his left hand onto his neck, then reached for his cravat. The ringleader came back with a thick wad of cotton, then placed that against his neck. Alucard retied his cravat over it, finishing the makeshift bandage.

He slumped forward. Subdued instincts gnawed at him, addled from the piercing blow and blood loss. The presence of the humans around him was overwhelming. Heartbeats, heat, sweat—nauseating. Two creatures fought in his head. The vampire was hungry, feral, angry. The human was disgusted, weak. Crushed, as soon as he locked eyes with Maria. She fidgeted to move towards him, but stayed back, fearful of her own disease and hurting him.

If ever there was a time he desired to share such human affection…

There was a splatter on the workbench. Maestro Phillippe tossed aside another filled vial of blood. An unnatural queasiness flooded Alucard's stomach. It was enough fluid out of the unicorn that injecting Alucard's blood into it wouldn't cause any cardiac distress. A tiny bleat escaped the animal, and then it went still, trembling as tainted blood was pushed into its body.

As the ringleader affixed another bandage to it, Maria spoke, her voice weak with revulsion. "H-how long?"

"Just a few minutes," Maestro Phillippe replied. "Its liver needs time to catch toxins from the vampire's blood. Once the more unsavory, corrosive portions are removed, a blend of the two regenerative blood types will be formed. Mixes like oil and water, though. The solution hardly remains for over half an hour."

Richter crossed his legs, leaning forward. "There's really no other way to do this?"

That brought a wicked smile from the ringleader's mouth. "Unicorns only heal others by taking disease into themselves. Something as toxic as that plague would kill it outright. Doesn't even do enough healing to make its death worthwhile. It may experience some gruesome side effects from filtering vampire blood, but at least it gets to live that way."

Given what happened to the last unicorn, no one else in the room found that as a truly ethical alternative.

"I suppose we don't even want to know how you came across such a solution," Richter huffed.

"Happened to find it in a discounted necromancy tome, of all things." Maestro Phillippe shook his head. "It didn't have the precise measurements for an effective concoction, nor warnings about its poor solubility, but with some experimentation, I found the right recipe."

Maria rolled her head to the right. "How…how many did you experiment on?"

"Two unicorns and seven vampires before I got it correct." He threw a meaty arm around Alucard, bursting his personal bubble in such a grand violation that Richter and Maria tensed. "A vampire cannot tolerate the same loss of blood that a human can. Fresh blood degrades in their veins too quickly, but their organs require the same amount of oxygen a human needs. That's why they're so greedy for the stuff. Their bodies can't make enough good blood to sustain themselves, so they have to get it where they can!"

No wonder Alucard looked like hell. The amount taken from him would be rough for a normal human. For a dhampir? Not enough to go into shock, but definitely enough to knock him off his feet. Hair on the back of Maria's neck raised. Richter was right—she should have brought him something more substantial to eat when they first rescued him.

The ringleader slid off the workbench, then began fussing with the unicorn once more. Alucard stared at the leftover blood from the creature on the table. That was to be his to dispose of—to consume. Cooling, coagulating unicorn's blood, an off-color shade of maroon. A substance so sickeningly sweet that it made the back of his mouth scrunch up and gag. He glanced away, finding Maria's emotions mirroring his own. How much worse this had to be for her. Humans hardly ever consumed any blood, save for the odd pudding recipe. This was going to be a putrid experience—even if it gave her life back to her.

Maestro Phillippe pulled back from the unicorn. Its cries were warped, containing a disturbed tone to them. Maria stiffened. If something from Alucard did that to any animal, could she really trust putting that corrupted animal's substances into her own body? She jolted again as the ringleader popped the glass container free from the blood-letting device. He passed it to her, then tapped its bottom.

"On the house," he smirked.

Maria sucked in a breath. Wounds first. She nodded to Richter, then pointed at a roll of bandages. "Pass those, please." As soon as he did, she tore off her old dressings. The injuries beneath were throbbing, blackened. She poured the deep red mixture into her gashes. It burned, then bit like a frosty wind. She hissed, then continued, dabbing and patting every last nick.

She wound the bandage roll around her legs. Even as she dressed the wounds, flesh was growing back on her thighs. Pale as Alucard's skin at first, then bright pink as healthy blood pulsed through it. Damned sharp magic. No wonder Maestro Phillippe put such faith into it. It certainly wasn't a cheerful attitude and a placebo saving her.

Half of the glass container remained by the time she was done mending her injuries. "Do you want to—"

"You'd better finish it off, my dear," Maestro Phillippe ordered.

Maria balked.

Alucard grimaced. So, she needed encouragement. He reached for the cooling surplus meant for his meal, then raised the glass' end to Maria. The lady shrunk down. A toast, was it? She lifted her glass, then repeated his actions. Fine. She could drink milk. She could eat eggs and honey. She could do this.

She threw back the glass and almost vomited.

The taste alone was enough to make her eyes bead up with tears. A tartness that ran bitter, metallic undertones clinging to her taste buds. The texture was slick, slimy, sinking too smoothly over her tongue and teeth. Colder than tea, warmer than beer. Her tongue clicked the roof of her mouth, and she about lost it again. If she could take it all in one chug, then she'd be stronger than any man that ever sat at any bar.

When she had downed the last of it, she grabbed another wad of bandages and cleaned out her mouth.

"Are you alright?" Richter asked.

She nodded, but couldn't speak. Her brother-in-law rubbed her shoulders. Outside of watching zombies tear a living man to pieces and childbirth, that had to be one of the most repulsive acts Richter had ever seen. He didn't know what fortitude that girl had inside her, but he knew he never wanted to challenge it. Taking another hunk of bandages, he cleaned her chin.

Richter raised his attention to Alucard. The dhampir was worried, pale features dropped in an unusually human display of emotion. A feeling as sharp as a serrated dagger stabbed Richter's heart. That damned fool really did love her. No wonder he was willing to face captivity once more to save her life. The softness in his eyes, the lowness of his eyebrows, the set purse of his lips. Had he not been so pallid, his canine teeth so sharp, his eyes so eerie and brilliant…

If only other humans could look at him and so easily see his mother's kindness.

"Thank you for your aid," Maria murmured.

Of all the things Maestro Phillippe had expected her to do, thanking him wasn't on his list of expectations. "You are welcome, my child." He opened a hand, then waved towards the looking glass. "When you are ready."

There was a groan from the workbench. One of the sentries snatched Alucard, holding him by his throat. Maria's stomach knotted up. What was she ready to do—abandon him? She slipped a hand into her pocket. It was empty, betraying her. Lord only knew where the magic stone once within it ended up in this maze. They had to have an escort to leave—one that was not keen on sharing his toys. It wasn't like she could smuggle Alucard out. He probably didn't have the stamina to shape-shift for very long. Even if she could tuck him away in her shirt and run, that ringleader would just hunt after him until one of them was dead.

"Maria?" Richter asked.

She looked up. Did Richter have any plans? Most of his began with home invasion and ended with extermination. Damned that Maestro Phillippe was human, that he had control of this little world. She sighed, then rolled her shoulders. Even hitting him seemed like out of line after what he had done for her.

If only he could have the same kindness for all creatures.

"I need a minute," Maria whispered as she backed away from the mirror. "I…I want to say goodbye."

Maestro Phillippe nodded. He waved his hand, forcing his guard to ease off the dhampir. Alucard sank down, struggling to regain his composure, rubbing his tender wound. He looked up, finding Maria standing before him, eyes watering. There was anger, fear, worry, love—tumultuous blue waves all crashing together, threatening to spill tears down her face. She pulled one hand forward, then froze. Teeth set against each other, her throat locking. Whatever she needed to say or do, she couldn't do it.

So, he would.

Alucard reached forward, then wrapped her within his cloak. Maria's heart missed a few pumps. His left arm tucked around her waist, his chin resting on her forehead. She went numb from shock. Alucard was no cuddler. What was he doing? Her skin prickled, confused. She felt like time itself had stopped.

She saw Richter's stopwatch in Alucard's right hand and knew that it that it had.


	9. Chapter 9

"What are you doing?" Maria gasped.

Alucard held his position, thumb pressed down onto the stopwatch. "You said that you needed a minute. That's precisely how much time is left on this watch. Think swiftly, Maria."

Maria's face flushed. He was buying her time. "I've lost your relic. I'm sorry. I could try stealing Maestro Phillippe's cane, but I don't know if I'd be able to use it like your relic."

"It's an option." Alucard urged her onward. "Do you suppose he took the jewel from you?"

"I'll ask if he's seen it. Do you have a good cover story for what it is?" Maria asked.

Alucard nodded. "Leave that to me. Just play along."

"He's going to come after us, if we get you out of here." Maria shook her head, frustrated. "I don't know what we're ever going to do to dissuade him, outside of physical violence. He's got someone he loves too. And if he thinks you can save her—"

"If he takes me again, so be it." He lowered his head, his forehead now resting on hers. "This is not the time to give into doubt. Both you and Richter have led me from this place before. I have confidence that you can do it again."

Maria clutched him, her cheeks tensing up as she fought a wave of dread. "I can't let you go."

That earned her a small, rare chuckle. "It would be prudent if you did, particularly before we run. Five seconds."

She spent three of them clinging onto him. Not proper, not dignified—not like she cared. She let the memory of his form sink into her flesh. His clothes hid his true shape so well. He seemed like all hair and cloak, but here, she felt a lean strength becoming of him, a power that hadn't completely emaciated from captivity. His heart was slow, beating softly, almost beyond detection. Curious in its demure rhythm.

Hers had nearly synced with his when time ran out.

Maria pulled back, composing herself. She squeezed Alucard's left hand, then turned away. There was business to do. First, to try and find the whereabouts of his relic. Failing that, theft of the ringleader's cane. Then, hit the road. Whatever was in the way, too. She gave Richter an easy smile, hoping he would be fast enough to pick up on their plan. Already, he was curious, confused by the sudden affectionate outburst from Alucard and his pounding headache stemming from the stopwatch's abuse.

Richter tipped his head. "Maria?"

"I—well, I suppose I'm ready." Maria lowered her head. "It's just—I don't know where I lost it. I'd feel terrible if I never got it back."

"What did you lose?" Maestro Phillippe lifted an eyebrow.

Alucard answered for Maria, voice flat-panned and serious. "My engagement gift to her."

Death himself could have impaled Richter using the dull end of his scythe, and the shock on his face wouldn't have been nearly as prominent as it was after that statement. Maria turned away from both Richter and Maestro Phillippe, cheeks cardinal red. Alucard didn't so much as flinch at the humans' stares. Damned if it didn't bring out a good response from both his companions. Their flustered confusion and embarrassment sold the lie.

Snorting, Maestro Phillippe tried to contain himself. "I…I see! Well, doesn't that explain a few things." He collected himself well before Richter could. "Tell me, my child. What did this gift look like?"

"It was a turquoise pendant," Maria explained. She put a hand to her face, trying to remain coy. "I…I broke the chain and lost the charm. It was so foolish of me. I should have been more careful with it."

"Is that so? Looks like you're in for a very lucky day, Maria," Maestro Phillippe beamed.

The ringleader dug his hand into his pocket. Out popped Alucard's relic. He handed it back to Maria, fingers unfurled in a grand gesture. She held her blush. Clutching the stone to her heart, she squeezed it tightly. Richter shot Alucard a glare. What kind of nonsense was this? That was his relic, not some affectionate trinket. The dhampir's reaction was as reserved as always. Oddly cool, especially if he and Maria were engaged and—

Richter narrowed his eyes. Had he almost taken in their devious lie?

Going along with their little prank, Richter put a hand on Maria's shoulders. "We should be leaving. No doubt our friend will have a tour coming soon."

"That's right," Maestro Phillippe nodded. "It's hard to collect enough coin to keep this operation going. Never the less, finding enough metal to cage the creatures here."

Waving his cane, Maestro Phillippe push two of his sentries aside. He touched the orb of the rod to the mirror's surface. Images rippled before them. Incomplete hunks of void, animal shelters, Veronica's chambers and tower—all melted into a single swirl. They finally stopped on a dirt-covered floor, silver and gold fabric hanging above. A cool breeze blew through the tent and into the mirror. It cleared Maria's mind, settled her heart.

"Let's go," Maria murmured, her words a gentle order.

There was a crash behind them as Alucard leapt forward. Violent magic scared the tiny unicorn now poisoned with his blood, sending it into a panic. Maestro Phillippe pulled back, howling in surprise as a bat charged towards the looking glass. He whipped his staff out of the mirror's surface. His swing was a foot too low to hit the bat. His guards did little better at catching the nimble creature. Maria reached forward with Alucard's relic. Outside freedom slipped passed her fingers. Whatever she had caught, it wasn't a true exit. It would have to do. She held the looking glass open long enough for Alucard to swoop through. Both human companions jumped after him as a confused ringleader caught onto their game.

Startling Maestro Phillippe had been a poor idea. They crashed into a mishmashed void. All around them were shattered fragments of mirrors, the floor nothing but reflective materials. There were no containing walls, no ceiling. Just infinite darkness dropping off tiny platforms. They huddled together as Maria cycled through the mirror's images with Alucard's relic. With any luck, they'd be back to the exit's image in no time, away from this vertigo-inducing place.

Alucard spilled out of his transformed state, his cloak rigid with spindly bones for half a second. He passed Richter his watch. "My deepest gratitude."

"Glad you put it to good use," Richter smirked. "You two must have had a hell of a talk."

"You didn't think I was going to leave him behind, did you?" Maria laughed.

Her cheer was cut short by a hand reaching through the mirror. She jerked back, a sentry's metallic fingers clasped around her arm. It was like watching a suit of armor wrestle with a dainty doll. More clambered around the portal. Greedy hands sought any flesh they could cling to. Richter pulled her back, struggling to keep her from being yanked through.

Alucard was quick to their defense. He raised his hand, then growled a phrase in a dark, ancient language. Pale light popped from the bodies of the golems. They jittered, then collapsed through the portal. The white orbs sank into Alucard's body. He shook off the cold, tingling sensation as Maria took over portal flipping once more.

"Do you mind not doing the soul stealing spell next to us?" Richter grumbled.

"I didn't think it would be wise to cut them open and risk another infection," Alucard replied.

Maria shook her head. "Come on! We've got other things to worry about right now!"

Suspended cages flashed by their eyes. Alucard raised his hand, halting Maria's. He fiddled with his relics, finding the faerie's symbol. Green light flashed as he tapped on her charm. The spirit rushed through the tower, leaping into her master's company once more. He fell back, letting the familiar rest on his shoulder.

"My apologies for keeping you waiting," Alucard murmured to the tiny creature.

"It was no sin, Master." The faerie beamed, then cooed. "Well met, Lady Maria! Glad to see you safe and sound. My master was worried sick about you. Why he even moaned your name in his sleep! I was surprised that he didn't awaken Sir Richter, but the way he snores—"

Alucard cut the faerie off before she could finish embarrassing all three of them. "Could you assist Maria in finding the fastest path exiting this realm?"

"Of course!" the familiar nodded.

The tiny creature fluttered from his shoulder to hers. She laid a hand against Maria's neck, then helped channel her magic. The young lady was a strong summoner, but spatial magic was not her calling. At least she had the power to help the small faerie navigate the mirrors. The shining surface beneath them rippled, cycling faster as they locked onto the mirror world's exit to reality.

An aurora burst from the relic. Shimmering light swarmed the group. The floor's surface gave way. All tumbled through to hard glass. Richter was the first to recover. He pulled up, snarling, head bloodied from the impact. He patted his forehead. Beneath him, hungry jaws snapped and chewed, rotted fingers trying to reach through mirrors and snatch him.

The Belmont snarled. "Not this place again."

The mirrored hallway had snared them one more. Maria jolted, glancing about in shock. All manners of monsters were around her, greeting her with ravenous eyes. She caught the familiar illusion that had trapped her before. The perverse portrayal of her sister waved at her. It batted its eyes, then leaned forward, licking the surface closest to Alucard.

Maria wound up a fist, then cracked the mirror, shattering the illusion standing beyond it.

"Was that truly worth seven years of bad luck?" Richter asked.

Shrugging, Maria pulled away from the walls. "I'm not superstitious."

Richter shook his head. "How can you not be? Have you not taken any consideration into what you have fought in your lifetime?"

"Riveting debate," Alucard sighed. "Perhaps we can continue this after we escape."

"I can agree to that." Richter paced along the walls. "This is the last place we need to be in for that maniac to—"

He didn't get to finish his dreadful thoughts before they made themselves real.

Hundreds of cackling ringleaders swarmed the group. Alucard's familiar darted back, then clung to her master's cape. The images swirled around them. Snarling, Richter and Alucard armed themselves. This illusion was almost as quaint as the old rabbit out of a hat trick. A favorite of deceptive demons looking for a quick shot. Amongst all the images, there was always one detail that stood out, one movement that was just a little off.

Richter caught it. A roundness more real than any illusion, a texture too sharp, the light hitting the right way. Some minor detail, but an important one. He cracked the Vampire Killer. The whip's barb caught on Maestro Phillippe's arm. With a single yank, Richter pulled him out of the fluid mirrors and into harsh reality.

The vampire hunter put one foot on the ringleader's back, then leaned down. "You just can't leave well enough alone, can you?"

Maestro Phillippe didn't dignify that with a retort. He placed the end of his staff into the ground, then cast another spell. Vines as jagged and brilliant as diamonds shot up next to Richter's ankle. The Belmont backed off. Even with a quick retreat, the vines took a chunk out of his boots. Painful, yes, but not incapacitating. He could shrug off a scratch.

"Master, don't waste your time with him!" the faerie scolded Alucard. "Get your friends to safety!"

Alucard nodded. "Help Maria. We shall keep him—"

The rest of his sentence was cut off in an ungraceful groan. Maestro Phillippe slammed his staff down. Alucard's sword followed the magician's unspoken order. It planted into the mirror, then sank through, as if quicksand was taking it under. Richter's knife, axe, and watch clattered down, torn from his pack. He was lucky he didn't lose his whip as well. Even Alucard's relics fought to pull free. Maria held tight to the one he had given her, the dhampir struggling to keep his right arm from being pulled out of its socket. The second half of his mermaid charm broke off, then sank into the abyss beyond the mirrors.

Richter whipped the ringleader once more. This time, he split open the man's nose. "How many times do you truly wish to fight us?"

"I will have what is mine. I will bring my daughter back, even if it's through that damned dhampir's blood," Maestro Phillippe growled. He raised his staff, then flicked it at Alucard. "I will have your submission, you monster!"

The faerie shrieked as magic rushed over their heads. She screamed again at the horror the spell manifested. Glossy claws bulged from the walls behind them. Alucard turned around, throwing a hand in front of Maria. Spilling forward was a monstrous illusion that all three vampire hunters recognized. Like wet ooze, the mirror's image slunk into the corridor. It was hard to deny its reality when surfaces cracked under its weight. Alucard gave an involuntary tremble. It was like that cold winter night all over again, his father's mocking fingers reaching for him once more.

This time, what threatened to harm them wasn't a vampire's reflection. It was that of an immortal beast, a demon birthed in new revolting forms to horrify mankind every century. Horns, fangs, wings, scales, claws—undulating, snarling, thirsting for blood. A great, fat lie, a giant mimicry of true evil. Yet, in its nightmarish jaws, a terrible image shone.

Dismembered, half-digested bodies squirmed in the mimic's mouth. A vampire hunter captured, enthralled, and abused by the hands he was meant to destroy. A foolish summoner blinded by her compassion and zeal. A traitorous prince with a frail, bleeding heart. All aberrations. All repulsive. All no better than monsters themselves. All prey for something greater.

Alucard bristled. If that was truly how Maestro Phillippe saw them, then so be it.

"Maria!" Alucard shouted. "With me!"

She needed no further instruction from him. He raised his left hand, she her right. Fire billowed from both of them. Maria's divine summon burst forth first. Her screaming phoenix blasted across the illusion's face. Rolling fireballs sank into the creature's gullet, piercing through its guts. Brilliant, cleansing fire pressed onward, melting everything in its path.

A sharp cry erupted from Maria's throat. Alucard's irises flared from gold to white. Brains pushed onwards, hearts beating in unison. Even as molten glass rained down upon them, they held their power. The ghastly image crashed down. It landed much too early, slopping in front of their feet. What should have been a powerful roar was nothing more than hissing gas escaping the deliquesced abomination.

Maria split from their unified attack. She whistled, an icy dragon responding to her call. It rushed through the remaining slop, freezing it in place. The flashy distraction gave Alucard enough time to work up another spell. Richter ducked as white spirits shot over the group's head. All four spiraled together, then struck as one. They slammed into Maestro Phillippe's staff. The ringleader yowled as the orb from the top exploded in blue fragments.

Richter snorted. "Show-off."

Snarling, Maesto Phillippe spat at the dhampir. "What have you done?"

"Broken your weapon, but left you whole. Do not expect the same mercy twice," Alucard answered. "We shall take our leave. Stand down."

All his threats bought him was frenzied laughter. "Are you so foolish as to think I will stop?"

Magic crackled from the shattered staff. Richter's eyes widened. "Don't—"

He didn't have time to finish his warning before unrestrained magic burst from the rod. It struck through the ceiling, the floor, the myriad mirrors lining the walls. Glassy thorns and vines stabbed outward. They pierced reality, diving every which way. The companions leapt together. Even the tiny space they shared wasn't enough. The glass lanced at the group, seeking home in blood and flesh.

Maria threw her hands over her chest, then called for intercession. The celestial beast of the north answered her pleas. A shell burst to life around the group. She held her arms out, feet planted in the ground. Her magic held the looking glass spears back, forced them away from tender hearts and legs. They fought against her. Magic hit magic, screeching, each seeking to make the other shatter.

The stubborn young lady hissed through clenched teeth. "I can't hold this!"

Spears snapped closer to her. They wound about the magic shell, searching for even the tiniest crack in Maria's defense. The ringleader's words slipped through, words snagging like thorns across flesh. "Pity that I wasted his blood on you, Maria."

Ice shot through Alucard's veins. Darkness seized his heart. He could live all of his life crushed beneath indignities, locked away in dungeons, taking insults and injuries. He couldn't see the same done to his allies. Not to Richter, and certainly not to Maria. He snapped to Richter's gaze, finding the same anger and desperation in the vampire hunter's eyes. There was no more room for patience or mercy.

"Clear the path," Alucard ordered.

With strength that had been passed down through eight hundred years of fighting, Richter lashed out of Maria's spell. The Vampire Killer shattered the thorny hallway. He pulled it back, ripping the last of the protrusions out of the way. In that instant, Alucard raised his hand. His cursed blood pulsed, evil magic springing forth. How Alucard hated that he knew this spell, that he had the power and knowledge to perform it.

In that instant, his father's spirit rejoiced, consuming fresh blood and anguish.

Burning magic as black as charred midnight tore through the collapsing hallway. Glass melted in its wake, a wave flooding forward with the spell's force. It didn't so much strike Maestro Phillippe as it engulfed him. Wicked flames took hold of fabric, flesh, fat. There was a wild, tortured scream from the ringleader, octaves above his normal voice. At once, the rest of the thorns fell back. Maria dropped to the ground, exhausted. She looked up, astonished at what atrocity Alucard had committed to save them.

His familiar pulled on Maria's hair. "Hurry!"

Maria nodded. She pressed Alucard's relic on the mirrored walls, then channeled her powers one more time. The faerie hovered with her. Two weaving flows of magic made the mirror throb. Sharp reality snapped into focus. Finally, the exit was clear. The sun beckoned them onward, leading them towards soft ground and fresh air.

"Come on!" Maria shouted.

Both Richter and Alucard snatched their sinking weapons. A shining splatter of bubbling material struck the mirrors behind them as Alucard flicked his blade clean. Behind his boots was a crackling, bleeding shell of a man. Roasted skin scraped against the floors of the mirrored hallway as Maestro Phillippe weakly crawled towards the trio. The dhampir shot it a dark look, then urged his human companions onward.

The Belmont cleared the mirror first. He gave a wild jump, like a buck breaking into open fields. Maria held her position, nodding for Alucard to take lead. The dhampir would not leave her behind a second time. He raised his cloak, then leapt towards her. Both crashed onto the ground outside the mirror realm. The looking glass behind them snapped back, rippling black distortions.

Not that Maria could see it, buried in Alucard's chest.

She lifted her head. It was hard not to gawk at the sight enveloping her. The dhampir was bent over her, his hair trailing down her face. With a prickling numbness, she realized that she was lying on his right arm. He knelt back, slipping his arm away, giving her a little more room to breathe. Not that she could. At least, not without gasping in exhilaration. Damned if Alucard didn't have a bit of a romantic style when it came to protecting others.

"Are you alright?" Alucard asked.

Maria nodded. "Just fine. You?"

His panting had almost broken into a smile when silver talons latched onto his shoulders.


	10. Chapter 10

Alucard howled, teeth flashing, blood coursing from his shoulders.

His body tensed, fingers digging into Maria's hair and the dirt beneath them. Bones cracked as he fought to take another form—anything to escape the nails running him through. His cloak flapped without power, bat wings disappearing as sheer pain disrupted Alucard's thoughts. Slowly, surely, he was pulled backwards.

Maria shrieked. "No!"

She latched onto Alucard's waist. Her heels slammed into the ground as she fought the force in the mirror. His faerie did the same, snatching onto her master's coat. She saw over his shoulder, past his tearing cape. Smoldering hands controlled the monstrous fingers that snared Alucard. A burned face brushed the surface of the mirror. She gnashed, then cursed. Even being roasted alive hadn't finished off that damned Maestro Phillippe!

"Richter!" Maria cried again.

The loyal Belmont shouted back. "Hold on!"

If only she could. Her heels were slipping. The earth was too weak to hold her in place—to keep Alucard from being dragged into that torturous mirror world again. He pushed forward, knelt down, thrashed against the forces drawing him in. Fingers convulsed as he tried to reach for his blade. Nails scraped bone, and he hollered.

A shining projectile sped past Maria's face. Richter's knife landed in the upper-left corner of the mirror. Shards rained down, splintering with every flail Alucard took. The mirror wasn't breaking fast enough. The back of his head breached the surface of the looking glass. He fought once more, throwing himself forward, snarling with what little air was left in his lungs.

"Come on!" Maria shrieked. "One more step! You can do it!"

Alucard nodded. He pushed against her. The noble, the girl, the spirit between them—all moving like ballroom dancers fighting a tempest. She took a step back, and his foot followed. One more, and Richter caught them, arms wrapped around them all as he pulled. Alucard's body cleared the mirror, hair and cloak still snapping inside. Blood splattered against shining knuckles. He bowed his head, eyes pinched shut, panting breathless apologies.

Maria lowered hers, too.

Fingers as lithe as a snake's jaws pulled Alucard's sword from its sheath. Maria thrust it forward. Her aim was crooked, her right arm too weak to hold it in a proper stance. Still, she met her target. Metal tore through Alucard's cape, pierced glass, then broke to the back side of the mirror. The force of the blow crackled upwards, meeting the slivers still slithering from Richter's knife.

Prisms burst from the looking glass' surface. The gnarled hands lanced into Alucard splintered into thousands of triangles and dust. He fell—forward, not back. Maria and Richter slid him to the ground. She reached behind him, felt up and down his spine. He was safe. Bleeding—missing a few inches of his cloak and hair—but alive.

Maria pulled him beneath her chin. She nuzzled both master and familiar. She kept repeating herself, not sure who she was talking to. "It's alright. It's alright."

The faerie wormed herself free from Maria's arms. The little sprite gasped. Bloody fragments oozed below Alucard's sword. Hunks of meat lay atop glass and his boots. Two chunks were disembodied, burned hands. Another contained domed bone. Splattered across that was curled, raw tissue. Brain matter.

"Master." The faerie tugged on Alucard's hair. He glanced over his shoulder, slow to leave Maria's care. His eyes widened, but no shocked breath left him.

Both Maria and Richter investigated the gore. Richter grimaced, then shook his head. "What happened?"

As the faerie fussed with her master's injuries, she addressed the vampire hunter's question. "When you and Maria broke the mirror, he was caught between two worlds. Part of him stayed in the other world. Part here. So—"

"We cut him in two," Richter nodded.

Maria's face fell. That wasn't the worst of it. "But, there's nothing on the other side, right? I mean, if he's dead—if he can't hold the world he made together—"

"It's all gone," the faerie said.

The menagerie. The animals. The guards. That poor girl Veronica. All were lost to the void. It wasn't bad enough that they had to kill a human. Now, everything he had ever built, collected, and cherished was gone. Maria's heart sank. Maestro Phillippe may have deserved such a fate for harming others, but surely not his daughter. Would she float in a land between spaces, rotting into nothing? Would she know that she was dying?

Or was she gone long before Maria met her?

Tiny hands pressed against Maria's forehead. The summoner raised her eyes. Alucard's familiar pleaded with her. "Please, get my master to safety. I've healed what I could, but—"

"People will be coming." Richter stood up. He yanked his knife from the mirror's frame, then tucked it away. "We can't be seen here."

Maria nodded. She stood up, pushing Alucard onto his feet. He was disoriented, but kept upright. With two tugs, he pulled his sword out of the broken looking glass. His breathing slowed. Gold eyes softened, then closed. He leaned forward. His right arm wrapped around her shoulders. She lowered her head, resting against his sore neck.

"Thank you," was all the eloquent dhampir could utter.

She nodded. "You're welcome."

He lifted his head, then gave his familiar a nod. The faerie smiled. With a puff of sparkling magic, she took her leave. Alucard sank down, his form disappearing in a black cloud. A tiny bat flew out, hopping over Maria's shoulder, rushing for the trees. Richter ran behind him. The early morning was no time for a bat to be flying about. The foolish dhampir was more likely to hit a tree and knock himself out than make a clean getaway. Maria followed the pair.

She didn't dare look back again. Not to see what they had done.

Shadows came over the hills and through the forest. Children went screaming past her as they ran through the circus, unfettered by any sentries or their parents. They passed stilled exhibits, dark carriages. Maria halted near one. She stepped up, then pressed the door open. A second later, and she was out.

A doll dangled from her fingers as she ran after her men.

/***/

Rumors were fast to spread throughout the town.

Maria had heard as many as five by the time she was done grooming her horse and feeding her pets. What little remained of Maestro Phillippe's body had been found. Some said it was his own comeuppance, that his animals had turned against him and devoured him. Others saw eyes in the forest, all manners of footprints along the path. Witches, ghosts, the parents of lost little boys—culprits of every shape and size were accused.

She gave no care to gossiping bar patrons and citizens. She was tired, filthy—needing to get to a safe place. At least Richter had a room reserved. A shame that it was up so many stairs. Steps gave sympathetic groans beneath her feet. She pulled herself up, then slunk to Richter's room. The door was left ajar. There was a sliver of a shadow trickling through. She pushed it open, stepped inside, and grinned. With the slightest of touches, she shut the door, pushing the noise away once more.

Slumped in a chair next to the door was Alucard.

Maria never knew how he could sleep like that. The fool could have had the bed, if he wanted. He couldn't be comfortable sinking into the folds of beaten cushions, his spine out of alignment. He was even facing the sunlit windows. And yet, he slept on, lost in a deep, dark dream.

She sat down on the bed. A curious wonder numbed her aching. How strange it was to see Alucard vulnerable like this. Long lashes and eyelids hid shining eyes. Teeth were kept in check behind closed lips. Frayed hair curled in defiance of any comb, ears peeking through wayward spirals. Boots were put aside and polished, gloves folded and scrubbed clean. He left the chain to his tattered cloak unbound. The silver links dangled alongside his loosened cravat, wounded skin beneath them washed and dressed with fresh bandages. He was unraveled, exhausted, almost human in his slumber. Her pulse slowed as she watched him slumber, his chest rising and falling with low breaths.

It took her a couple of minutes to snap out of her lulling.

Maria stepped into a smaller area off the side of the main room. Inside, there was a white pitcher, a tiny sink. Hardly a proper washroom, but it would do. She pulled off her gloves, then cleaned her hands and face. A quick squeeze of colored perfume took the stench of birds and horses off of her. This was hardly the time or place to take a full bath. Especially with gentlemen coming in and out of the room. She shook hay out of her hair, then began combing out matted tendrils. The brush's bristles caught and snagged, rumbling as she continued grooming.

A quiet call came from the main room. "Maria?"

Maria lifted her head. There was no reflection in the vanity. She turned to face Alucard. He was still seated, leaning forward to look at her. She shook her head, then propped herself against the door frame. "Don't know you better than to look into washrooms when a woman is inside?"

The thought hadn't crossed Alucard's mind. He drew back, surprised with his lack of foresight. "I'm sorry. That was rather rude of me."

"It's alright." Maria sat down once more, taking the corner of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

A few moments went by before Alucard spoke. Something uncomfortable was stuck in his stomach. "Mending." He drew his right hand up, then pressed below his sternum, into the pit of his solar plexus. "Rueful."

Maria lowered her eyebrows. "Alucard?"

"I acted out of anger, Maria." He screwed up his face, the bile of his words bitter on his tongue. "There had to be another way to resolve our conflict with my captor. I am certain of it. To see what became of my selfishness…Monstrous."

"You're no monster, Alucard. Think what you'd like about what we've done, but I can see the pain in your face." Maria's fingers curled in her lap. She twisted them around the hem of her tunic, looking away from his piercing eyes. "I know this guilt you're feeling. I wish we could have spared that poor girl. But if that meant losing you…"

Maria turned her head away. She stared at the toy propped against her luggage. Alucard glanced at it, eyebrows pinching as he studied the doll. Maria was carrying her guilt in a more physical sense than he. He lowered his eyes, shaking his head. They would both have to live with their actions.

Warm hands slipped into his cold fingers. Alucard raised his head. Maria leaned forward. A few inches closer, and she would have been in his lap. Intensity as dark and deep as ocean waters was in her eyes. Such magnificent pressure forced a sharp palpitation in his heart.

"Maria?" Alucard asked.

"Remember your promise?" Maria answered him with her own questions. "Do you remember what you said to me when I tracked you down? When you were going to seal yourself away?"

Silver fringe from the sides of his face bobbed as Alucard nodded. "Of course. I swore to aid those that freed me from my father. To be there for their children. To…keep vigil."

"Good. And I said that I'd help you keep it, no matter what." Maria smiled. She lowered her head, trying to disguise tears with laughter. "So we messed up. We're still here. We can take what's happened to us and make sure we don't repeat our mistakes. Just keep trying, alright?" She raised one hand, reached forward with great apprehension, then placed it on the dhampir's chest. "I'll be here. Even after my time runs out, I'll stay right here. Always."

There was a gentle bump on her head as Alucard laid his forehead against hers. His right hand folded over her own, keeping her bold fingers above his heart. "You are too stubborn."

"Like you're not," Maria hiccuped through her weeping.

Smooth cloth dabbed her tears away. She kept her eyes closed long enough for Alucard to finish cleaning her. Always a gentleman, even when he thought himself otherwise. It was easier for her to hold a smile now. Strange how he hardly grinned, and yet, how simple it was for him to draw one from her. Maybe one day, she could be just as skilled.

There was a shift from the chair, then Alucard was before her, crouched. "Are you finished with your chores? I have spent too much time sequestered. It would be rude of me to not help you."

"I'm fine." Maria smiled. She reached around his right shoulder, then played with his hair. What used to fall to the small of his back now only made it to his chest. "Sorry about the trim."

Alucard shook his head. "I was getting a few split ends." He picked at the end of his docked cloak. "However, this is beyond repair. I shall have to purchase another one. As well as a new sash for you."

"What?" Maria glanced down at her clothes. Sure enough, her golden sash was cut short. She had been so worried about everyone else that she hadn't even seen the damage done to it. She fumed. "I can't believe this! We've got to find a tailor this instant!"

"Absolutely! While we're out, we should pick up fresh shoes and a new dress too!"

Both Alucard and Maria jolted. Leave it to loudmouth Richter to sneak up on both of them and get a rogue's jab at their conversation. Maria's back went rigid. She flushed a bright shade of pink. Alucard couldn't turn the same colors, but he could make the same awkward bite on his lip that she had on hers. Richter snorted a laugh. Even if the two of them were centuries apart in age, they both acted like gawkish teenagers around each other.

Richter leaned on the door frame, his arms crossed. "We should get moving. Constables are starting to poke around the circus. I'd like to avoid being questioned, if possible."

"Where are we to go?" Alucard asked.

The vampire hunter smirked. He reached into his coat, then produced an envelope. He waggled it in front of both the dhampir and his sister-in-law. "Got a job down south. It's about a week's ride. Interested in following me?"

"Absolutely!" Maria agreed. "Someone's got to keep an eye on you. Especially for Annette's sake."

"Oh, sure. You get ensorcelled and locked in a castle for a year, and everyone gets a little dodgy when you're on the road," Richter sighed.

Alucard nodded as well. "I am in your debt. If this will repay it—"

Richter waved off the dhampir's words. "No talk like that. If we kept counts of our debts to each other, we would all be destitute."

"Very well," Alucard agreed. "If you would like my company, you have it."

"Good!" Richter reached across their shoulders, squeezing them in a bear hug. "You two are going to love this place."

/***/

Cobalt spires pierced stormy skies. Stonework sank into black forests, shimmering from nearby lightning. The rain was fast approaching. Winds rustled through thick trees, snatching hair and the ends of a new cape. The adventurous trio stood on the edge of the storm, their next challenge waiting with crackling anticipation.

"The target?" Alucard inquired.

"Gargoyles." Richter waved a hand towards the top of the towering monastery. "They got a new vicar here, you see. He's got a bit of a fat head. Wanted to shake up the place, do some renovations." His hand drifted to the west. "He went and cracked open a wing of this keep that had been sealed for over five hundred years. Wouldn't you know it? Hundreds of gargoyles, all crammed behind it! They have the full run of the place now."

Maria nodded. "So, what's our plan?"

Richter raised an eyebrow. "Good question. I had assumed holy water would be the way to go, but this place must be already brimming with the stuff. Maybe they're immune to it."

"Well, it's worth a shot," Maria shrugged.

The humans went back and forth, planning entrance strategies and attacks. Alucard's eyes drifted. Distant fire caught his attention. He paused, studying what was watching him from atop forested hills. There was a soft stirring of earth, warm thrums. He felt at ease, as if he was dozing within winding, scaled coils.

"—n't you think so, Alucard?" Maria's voice cut through his thoughts.

Alucard shook his head. "Pardon?"

Maria leaned over. "Are you alright? If you need to go rest, that's fine. Richter and I can handle this."

Any average human would have taken her up on her offer. One didn't waltz out of the kind of prolonged captivity he had endured. Certainly not after the injuries he suffered. Still, the travels with warm company had done him well. His swordplay would be a little weak, but his magic remained solid.

"If need be, I could steal some life from the gargoyles. However, I have no reason to retreat," Alucard assured his companions.

Richter smirked. "Well, you're certainly not going to be draining blood. Not without chipping a tooth, anyway."

Movement from the forest drew Alucard's senses once more. This time, Maria's eyes followed his. There was a bolt of lightning, thunder following. Lithe bodies watched the pair, tails knotted. Maria's hand slipped into Alucard's. She was sure she had seen their watchers before—behind lock and key, batting eyes at her friend, winding tails around his ankles.

She smiled at the duo. Another clap went, and the twin shadows disappeared into the night.

"You know, Richter…" Maria lowered her head. "Do you think gargoyles can talk?"

Richter winced. "Alucard would know better than I. Why?"

Maria twisted one foot behind her other. "I was just thinking—you know, since we got out of that circus and all. Maybe we can talk to them and see if we can strike a deal. I mean, lots of monsters are intelligent. We don't have to go in swinging."

The Belmont raised an eyebrow. His eyes drifted down to her left hand. He rolled his head back, trying to avoid staring at her and the dhampir. She did have a point. Granted, he didn't know how great that idea was going to be when he was smashed on his back, but it was worth a shot. It was sounding more effective than chucking water at the beasts, anyway.

"Lots of monsters are also evil. But, fair's fair," Richter agreed. "Be wary, though. If they get growly, so will I."

"I would expect no less from a Belmont," Alucard said.

Richter brushed his bangs out of his face. "Now, you watch your tongue. Unless you want to go for another round against the Belmont clan."

"It would be a pity if I beat you again," Alucard teased. "Especially in my feeble state."

Maria mocked the pair. "Yes, you're both pretty. Can we go? I'd like to get inside before—"

The sky tore open before she could finish her thoughts. Cold rain pelted the trio. Alucard bristled at the sensation. Maria and Richter's skin prickled with goose bumps. Light scattered across their wet faces, a roaring boom following close behind.

"—it starts raining," Maria sighed.

Richter took off first. "Last one in has to lick a gargoyle!"

Powerful legs leapt towards the monastery's thick doors. Maria prepared to bolt, but found her hand still in Alucard's. She smirked, then straightened her back. So it was pouring buckets. The rain wasn't going to harm her. She squeezed Alucard's hand. He responded in kind, eyes glowing in the rising storm, silver hair running down with the coursing rain.

She wondered for a moment what would happen if she knocked him onto the muddy ground, leapt on him, pushed that hair out of his face, and—

"Are you ready?" Alucard asked.

Maria blushed. Business had to come first. She nodded, then let him take lead. They walked in lockstep, up stone stairs, towards Richter's beaming face. He pushed the door in, letting them inside. As soon as they were in, he closed the doors behind them. All at once, dust and candlelight filled their senses. Dark hallways beckoned them forth, green rugs leading them to their next challenge.

Fiery human spirits burned through the night, embers warming the cold soul fighting alongside them.

/***/

Author's Note

Congratulations! You made it! I'd throw you a turkey leg, if I could find one. Probably isn't a good idea to punch holes in my home and see if any fall out.

Seriously, though—thanks for making it here. I realize I wasn't too chatty this time around. Didn't want to break your thoughts. Feel free to leave any comments you'd like. Though, if you did like the story, please share it with your pals! I'm struggling to find a Castlevania community online, so if this is up to snuff, I'd like it to be circulated. (And hey—not that I'm planting ideas or anything, but that Recommended Fanfics section for Castlevania on TVTropes is looking pretty damn slim!)

For what it's worth—I am currently working on a Sorrow-arc Castlevania fic for NaNoWriMo. Keep your eyes peeled for that. I won't post until I have the final chapter written, so it'll probably be a month or so before you see anything there. Hell, might not even show up until 2015. You know. Like, ten years after "Dawn of Sorrow" was released. Argh...

If you'd like to talk to me, you can find me on Tumblr. Same username and everything!

Again—thank you so much. I truly hope you enjoyed this story.


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